# Make processed meat an occasional food

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/limit-processed-meat/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-27
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 24 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#limit-processed-meat

Eating less bacon, ham and sausage reduces exposure to a cause of bowel cancer.

**The number:** Each 50 g of processed meat daily linked to about 18% higher bowel cancer risk ([WHO IARC, 2015](https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Monographs-QA_Vol114.pdf))

## The evidence

- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis: IARC causal assessment, original quantitative estimate and WHO September 2026 update
- Outcome: bowel cancer risk, approximate relative association
- Comparison: per additional 50 g of processed meat eaten daily
- Impact: 73/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk.

## Why it matters

Processed meat is classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans, with the strongest evidence for bowel cancer. Its 2015 assessment estimated about 18% higher relative bowel cancer risk per 50 g eaten daily. That is a relative increase, not an extra 18 percentage points, and the 2026 WHO update retains the cancer classification.

## How to do it

1. Replace some bacon, sausage or ham meals with beans, eggs or fish.
2. Try hummus or leftover unprocessed poultry in sandwiches.
3. Check ingredients: preserved chicken or turkey deli meats can also be processed meat.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Think of your next sandwich: choose hummus or unprocessed chicken in place of ham, salami or other deli meat.
- 5 minutes: Scan your usual sandwich fillings for bacon, ham, salami and cured poultry; add a suitable replacement to your shopping list.
- 15 minutes: Prepare one lunch with hummus, washed vegetables and bread, or another suitable unprocessed protein.
- 30 minutes: Plan three lunches without your usual processed meat and list the ingredients; check suitable protein options if you have dietary restrictions.

### What it looks like

- Fill a sandwich with hummus and cucumber instead of ham.
- Use cooked beans in a breakfast instead of bacon.
- Choose freshly cooked chicken instead of turkey deli slices.

### Common mistakes

- Do not assume chicken or turkey deli slices are unprocessed: curing, salting and preservatives still count.
- Do not replace ham with another cured meat: try beans, hummus or unprocessed poultry.

### A structured start

**Replace the meals you repeat**

1. Week 1: Change one regular processed meat lunch.
2. Week 2: Change a breakfast or dinner that usually includes bacon or sausages.
3. Week 3: Keep two easy alternatives available so the swap stays convenient.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Meat in your diet](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/meat-nutrition/), NHS
- [The Eatwell Guide](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/), NHS

## In Germany

In Germany, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) notes that too much meat and especially sausage raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer, and advises no more than 300 g of meat and sausage a week in total.

[Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung](https://www.dge.de/gesunde-ernaehrung/gut-essen-und-trinken/dge-empfehlungen/), checked 2026-09-28

## In Spain

In Spain, AESAN recommends 0 to 3 portions of meat a week in total, favouring poultry and rabbit and minimising processed meat.

[Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (AESAN)](https://www.aesan.gob.es/dam/jcr:303bc425-0df3-4124-abe9-75499ce573fa/RECOMENDACIONES_DIETETICAS.pdf), checked 2026-09-28

## In Netherlands

In the Netherlands, processed meat such as cold cuts is not part of the Voedingscentrum's Wheel of Five, and adults are advised to eat no more than 300 g of meat a week in total.

[Voedingscentrum](https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/vlees.aspx), checked 2026-09-28

## Sources

- [Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat](https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Monographs-QA_Vol114.pdf), WHO IARC, 2015 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Carcinogenicity of red and processed meat](https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat), WHO, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Meat in your diet](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/meat-nutrition/), NHS, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.

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