WHO says processed meat is cancer risk

The World Health Organization recently linked cancer to processed and red meats. World cancer researchers say people who fill up on processed foods like bacon, sausage and hot dogs face a real risk of colon, stomach and other cancers.

Scientists from the World Health Organization say eating processed meats - including those that are smoked, cured or salted - poses the same cancer risk as smoking.

The owner of Bavette La Boucherie says it's about knowing where your meat comes from. They say it's about limiting the number of nitrates in meats. Nitrates are a preservative that some researches have linked to cancer.

In their case, Bavette La Boucherie, advocates using celery salt which is a naturally occurring non chemical nitrate. The owner also says eat local hormone free meat.

Nutritionist Nicole Kerneen, with Way of Life Nutrition and Fitness, agrees that additives are the issue. 
 
Kerneen says, "You can cure a meat you can smoke a meat so with that, you're adding a bunch of additives, you're adding sodium you're adding sugar to it, nitrates to it."
 
She says the cancer risk with meat is it takes a long time to digest, and just sits in your colon. But an equally large risk is what you eat with the meat.

"Their diets are going to include french fries with that, alcohol with that, or heavy latent desserts, so you compound that with red meat that's already difficult to digest."

In the end, both agree it comes down to moderation.