UPDATE: Processed foods linked to colon cancer risk; Springs meat shop owner weighs in

Bacon, burgers and sausages could be as big a cancer threat as cigarettes, global health chiefs warned today. The reason? They are all processed foods.

“Things that have been smoked, cured, salted, chemically preserved with nitrates and nitrites,” explained Teri Meno, Penrose Hospital dietitian.

A new World Health Organization report has classified processed meat as carcinogenic alongside arsenic and asbestos.

The report says 50g of processed meat a day, or two slices of bacon increases the risk of colon cancer by 18 percent. However, the report said that eating processed meat is not as dangerous as smoking cigarettes.

Dennis Burton with the Butcher Block in Colorado Springs said he’s had concerns about processed meats for years and it’s why he’s chosen to keep his meats as natural as possible.

“Your body is not built or designed to process this stuff and all the chemicals they put in it to make food taste better and do whatever they need it to do fluff it up or make it last longer, it’s not healthy for the food chain,” said Burton.

Red meat might also be carcinogenic which means its consumption should also be limited. However,the WHO said red meat still has “nutritional value.”

But diet isn’t the only determining factor. According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, there are four things you can do when it comes to cancer prevention:

Eat Healthy
Be Active
Don’t Smoke
Get Screened