# Red and processed meat reduction

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/red-processed-meat-reduction/  
OnCo record `red-processed-meat-reduction` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Processed meat (bacon, ham, sausages) is classed by IARC as a definite cause of bowel cancer and red meat as a probable one, with about 18% higher risk per 50 g of processed meat a day. One person's extra lifetime risk is a few percentage points, but 5 to 10% of bowel cancers in high-income countries are attributed to it.

## Summary

IARC classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) and red meat as probably carcinogenic (Group 2A) in 2015, based on colorectal cancer: about 18% higher risk per 50 g/day of processed meat and 17% per 100 g/day of red meat in meta-analyses of cohorts. Absolute risk increase for an individual is a few percentage points of lifetime colorectal risk; the population-attributable fraction in high-income countries is around 5-10% of colorectal cancers. Mechanisms include N-nitroso compounds from nitrite curing, haem iron promoting endogenous nitrosation and lipid peroxidation, and heterocyclic amines from high-temperature cooking. WCRF recommends limiting red meat to about three portions (350-500 g cooked) per week and eating little if any processed meat. The 2019 NutriRECS guidelines that advised continuing current consumption drew widespread criticism for applying drug-trial evidence standards to dietary epidemiology, illustrating the recurring dispute about how much certainty diet advice needs.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Principle: Nitrosamines, haem iron and heterocyclic amines cause DNA alkylation and oxidative damage in colonic epithelium; the exposure is chronic and cumulative.
- Strengths: IARC Group 1 classification with coherent mechanism; Consistent dose-response across cohorts; Reduction aligns with cardiovascular and climate goals
- Limitations: Individual relative risks are modest and hard to communicate; Confounding with overall diet quality; Policy tools (labelling, reformulation) under-used

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_meat#Health_effects
- IARC Monograph 114: red and processed meat (Lancet Oncol 2015): https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1

## Connected records

- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gastric/), [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)
- fronts: [Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle](https://onco.cc/fronts/nutrition-lifestyle/), [Prevention & Risk](https://onco.cc/fronts/prevention/)
- technologies: [Colorectal cancer screening (colonoscopy, FIT, stool DNA, blood)](https://onco.cc/technologies/colorectal-screening/), [Mediterranean and plant-forward dietary patterns](https://onco.cc/technologies/mediterranean-plant-forward-diet/), [Ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened drinks](https://onco.cc/technologies/ultra-processed-food-ssb/)
- institutions: [International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC / WHO)](https://onco.cc/institutions/iarc/)
- terms: [Dietary pattern scores (Mediterranean, HEI, AHEI, DASH, WCRF/AICR)](https://onco.cc/terms/dietary-pattern-scores/), [Ultra-processed food (NOVA group 4)](https://onco.cc/terms/ultra-processed-food/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/), [Prevention we already have is not deployed](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-prevention-adoption/)
- key papers: [Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-bouvard-lancet-oncol/)
- ideas: [Controlled feeding trials to separate ultra-processing from calories](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-nl-upf-controlled-feeding-trial/)
- roadmaps: [Diet, exercise and lifestyle roadmap: causes established → interventions that disappointed → exercise proven as treatment](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/nutrition-lifestyle-roadmap/)

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