Simon Coveney dismisses WHO meat claims

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has dismissed claims by the World Health Organisation that eating meat can cause cancer by saying that “sunshine can cause cancer as well but that doesn’t mean people should not stand out in it”.

In his first public response to the findings published by the WHO on Monday, the Fine Gael minister said that the public has no reason to overreact to the revelations.

Detailed research from the WHO found that a regular diet of bacon, ham, and sausages is as likely to cause cancer as a daily addiction to cigarettes.