Food safety experts in Belfast have slammed a UK regulator for failing to reduce the risk of cancer from eating processed meats.
Calling it “one of the most damning articles” he had ever written, Professor Chris Elliott said the UK’s Food Safety Authority (FSA) had drifted over the use of nitrates and nitrites in meats like bacon and ham.
The chemicals are added to processed meats to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, extend shelf life as well as preserving the meat’s colour and flavour.
The article, co-written by Queen’s University colleague Professor Brian Green, accused the FSA of “patchy research” and failing to protect the UK public.
“Behind bacon’s pink sheen lies a chemical additive under scrutiny, and a question of how evidence shapes UK food safety decisions,” they said.
Shocked by World Health Organisation research in 2015 that placed processed meats in the same carcinogenic risk as tobacco and asbestos, they said the UK had done “virtually nothing” since then to limit dietary exposure to nitrites.
With Cancer Research UK estimating that 5,000 cases of colorectal cancer a year are linked to diets high in processed meats, Profs Elliott and Green said this amounted to 50,000 cases in a decade and a £3bn healthcare spend.
“We do not write this article with enthusiasm or relish, but there comes a time when extreme disappointment and frustration warrants a public intervention, despite the subject of our disappointment being an agency for which we have great respect.”
They said a recent report from the FSA on the issue sought to convince the public that ‘there’s nothing to see here,’ but the “selective” data meant it lacked the credibility of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
They said the EFSA’s guidance had led to a direct change in EU legislation to reduce the levels at which “these dangerous chemicals” can be used during meat processing.
In contrast, the FSA’s “partial literature review” was not enough to guide government policy and had “deliberately excluded” important peer-reviewed animal studies.
In one of my most damming articles I've ever written I state the @foodgov stance on nitrites in processed meat is not good enough. A rapid evidence assessment is no substitute for rigorous science. @EFSA_EU found real exposure risks — the FSA ducked. https://t.co/Za83huYdgL pic.twitter.com/027CTftVrj
— Prof Chris Elliott OBE (@QUBFoodProf) November 5, 2025
The FSA was then accused of sitting on the fence by frequently stating the evidence was inconclusive or at an early stage.
“This may help reassure ministers, but believe us, it does nothing to reassure anyone with an understanding of the underpinning science,” they said.
“We need to be clear: nitrates and nitrites are not trivial additives. Their chemistry allows them to form N-nitroso compounds when they are added to meat which is then cooked – substances known to be carcinogenic,” they said.
Responding, the FSA’s Acting Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Rick Mumford said: “We know that processed meat increases the risk of cancer, but the exact cause of these risks remains unclear.”
He said the review had been independently scrutinised and the conclusions “reflect the current state of scientific knowledge on this issue.”
“Nitrates and nitrites occur widely in our diets naturally, and in terms of additives, we already have clear maximum levels,” he said.
“There is no evidence that removing nitrates or nitrites makes processed meat safer.
“Our advice is simple: to reduce health risks, it’s best to limit your consumption of all processed meats.”
