ALERT FROM WHO: Processed ham is considered carcinogenic to humans

Processed ham remains a common food in daily recipes, but this is no longer the case according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has classified processed meats as Group 1: carcinogenic to humans, reports adnkronos.it.

The classification places processed meats in Group 1 based on sufficient evidence in humans, with the strongest link to colorectal cancer.

The definition includes products processed through salting, curing, fermenting, smoking, or other methods intended to preserve and flavor the meat: ham (cooked and raw), sausages, cold cuts, canned meat, and similar preparations.

The scope is broad and not limited to a single recipe or brand—it concerns a food processing technology.

The most cited quantitative measure, and one of the few that has entered common usage, is the relative increase in colorectal cancer risk, estimated at about 18% for every 50-gram portion of processed meat consumed daily, based on analyses of study data.

This figure explains why, in a population that consumes these products regularly, a “moderate” increase in risk for an individual can become a public health concern.

WHO notes that Group 1 includes very diverse agents, from tobacco smoke to asbestos, as well as processed meat.

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