Research needed on health risks of processed meats

An editorial published by the Australian Medical Association has urged researchers to “take a closer look” at the health risks of processed meat products such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs and hamburgers.

The authors are University of Adelaide medical scientist Alphonse Roex and Adelaide-based paediatrician Heleen Roex-Haitjema.

They argue that in 2015, an assessment of more than 700 studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed that processed meats could be linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.