Farmers and scientists question meat and cancer link
The Agricultural Science Association (ASA) said it hopes the Commission’s detailed analysis will help to clarify the findings and reduce the level of fear and uncertainty generated by public reaction to the report.
ASA president, Neil Keane, said: “The fact of the matter is that the scientific evidence backing up this report shows low risk. The research reviewed is not new, nor does it say that people should not eat meat. Rather it says that if you eat large volumes of processed meat over a prolonged period, there is a very small risk of developing some forms of cancer in later life.
“The Irish food industry works incredibly hard to meet the highest food safety and production standards which can be irreparably damaged by misinterpreting and ambiguous reports such as these. All of the scientific evidence available about diet and health advocates eating a wide variety of foods in moderation as part of a balanced diet, and so there is nothing new in this recommendation.” ICSA president, Patrick Kent, urged consumers not be overly concerned by coverage of the WHO report which states that red and processed meats can increase the risk of cancer.
“Ireland produces the best grass fed beef in the world,” said Mr Kent. “We cannot allow this message to be taken out of context and be used to scaremonger consumers.
“The benefits of eating red meat are well known as it is an important source of protein, iron and vitamins. Eating sensibly and eating things in moderation are the key points in all recent public-health messages on diet.”
The ICSA cites research demonstrating that grass-fed beef is higher in conjugated linoleic acids, which confer many health benefits including anti-cancer properties, as well as being helping to counteract obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
“There is a need to be careful about reports that come out almost on a weekly basis which give guidance on food,” he said.
“We were told butter was bad for you and margarine good; now the opposite is actually considered the truth. In reality, in the developed west, there are a lot more pressing dietary issues for a population where obesity and bad diet is reaching epidemic proportions.”
Mr Kent said the WHO report may be useful if it is proven to shine a light on highly processed foods subjected to multiple processes and the addition of dubious flavourings and colourings.
An IFA spokesman said consuming recommended quantities of red meat is well recognised by medical experts as being beneficial to human health and provides essential vitamins and minerals. Red meat is an important part of a balanced diet where a plentiful supply of quality foods has added greatly to health and life expectancy.
