P.E.I. consumers, beef industry not worried about new cancer report
Islanders are reacting to a new WHO report linking cancer to red, processed meats
Consumers, beef producers and nutrition experts on P.E.I. say there's no need to over-react to a new report connecting cancer to processed and red meats.
What doesn't cause cancer these days?- Steve Carr, consumer
Monday, the World Health Organization found a direct link between processed meats and cancer, and a probable link between cancer and red meat.
"What else is new?" asked Steve Carr as he enjoyed lunch at the Old Triangle Pub in Charlottetown Tuesday, where they're advertising specials laden with bacon as part of the annual Porktoberfest promotion.
"What doesn't cause cancer these days? It's something I like. I'm going to go with it and enjoy it."
"I just guess I don't believe them," said diner Jessica Oliver as she enjoyed a juicy sausage with creamy mashed potatoes and onions. "Sausage and asbestos I don't feel should be in the same category."
That's exactly what the P.E.I. Cattle Producers Association wants to hear.
"It's a study, there's a risk," said Jeremy Stead, vice-chair of the association. "There's risks in everything we do today."
"It's one of those things, when it comes out, it's top of mind for days, perhaps weeks. But after that, there's probably gonna be something else come up, and that'll be top of people's minds. So it's back to the meat counter."
Stead believes most people won't be interested in giving up their habits.
"People have been consuming red meat and beef in particular all along," he said. "So, a very small percentage might take this to heart and eat less red meat, but I think your average consumer will carry on their consumption like they have."
Cut back, don't cut out
The WHO didn't actually equate eating red and processed meat to other major cancer-causing materials, such as asbestos, advised UPEI health scientist Jennifer Taylor.
She said the risk of getting cancer from meat was far lower than smoking, but still recommends moderation with the bacon.
"If you're the type of person that normally has a pound on Saturday morning, and a pound on Sunday morning, and you eat sausage and pepperoni two or three times a week, yeah, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to cut that back," confirmed Taylor.
"If you've already moderated that consumption and you have an otherwise healthy diet and you're active, the amount of risk that's going to come from that is not going to be a huge risk."
Taylor added the numbers need to be looked at in perspective; smoking kills a million people world-wide a year, while colorectal cancer, linked to processed meat, claims about 30,000.
With files from Steve Bruce