Lunchtime staple sold at Tesco found to contain cancer-causing chemicals, 10 years after health chiefs’ warnings

A new study revealed that popular ham products sold in large supermarkets in the UK contain chemicals that cause cancer.

These are typically used to protect meat, but are linked to colon cancer.

Almost ten years after the World Health Organization declared insecure in October 2015, they stay on the shelves of England.

Tesco, M&B and Morrisons tested 21 product researchers, were positive for nitrite.

The product with the highest concentration of chemicals was the Wiltshire gambon of Tesco, which was about 33 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) per kilogram.

This is on 11 floors of 2.88 mg/kg on the cooked ham of the store and “”

Other Wiltshire jam products sold at relatively high levels include products between M&S (28.6mg/kg), Sainsbury (21.1mg/kg) and morrison (19.2mg/kg).

Meanwhile, the version sold by ASDA contained only 8mg/kg.

The study found Tesco’s Wiltshire ham of the product with the highest level of chemicals.

A tesco spokesman said: ‘In addition to the guidance of the British Food Standards Agency, we follow all the UK and EU requirements to ensure the balance of the shelf life and safety of our products with the limited use of additives.

‘Nitrite levels in all our products, including our traditionally improved Wiltshire gambon, fall significantly below the legal limits in England and the EU.’

They said that nitrites are an important part of the curing process for meats used to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that may cause serious food poisoning ‘.

They only added that they used nitrates when necessary, and that they were determined to explicitly label products.

‘Customers can control the product component lists to see which products contain additives such as nitrite.’ ‘

Supermarket also stressed that the reported level in Tesco Wiltshire Ham was’ significantly lower than the legal limit of 100 mg/kg in England and the EU.

The findings are due to the increase in colon cancer in young people who are deeply worried about many experts.

The latest figures show that cases of bowel cancer in the UK will rise by one tenth by 2040.

The study was conducted by Food Science Fusion experts, an accredited food test laboratory and assigned by the coalition against nitrite.

In response to his findings, Ruth Dolby, a food scientist who leads to the study, said: ‘We already know that consuming regularly can harm health with nitrite.

“What makes our research important is that Wiltshire-Cured HAMS may have significantly higher nitrite levels.”

In the meantime, Professor Chris Elliot, a food safety expert who directed the independent examination to the 2013 horse meat scandal, said: ‘This new analysis confirmed that nitrite is unnecessarily high in some UK meat products.

‘Considering the scientific evidence of increased risks of cancer, we must give priority to safer alternatives and take urgent action to remove these dangerous chemicals from our diets.

“ The food industry can remove nitrite from processed meats tomorrow – because they don’t have to make delicious and affordable foods to love a large number of British.

‘Processed meat manufacturers can now take this step and encourage them to do them before they need to take action.’

Professor Paolo Vineis of Imperial College London was a joint writer of the WHO report, which classifies nitrite -cured processed meat as a cancer with tobacco.

He said: ‘Considering the overwhelming scientific evidence that connects processed meat to the development of colorectal cancer, the governments and the food industry do not yet do more to reduce the risk of human health.

Orum I want to see a significant decrease in the processed meat volume consumed, but the removal of nitrides from products such as bacon, gambon and sausage will be a positive step in improving the health of the population.

‘My country can be done as shown by producers in Italy.’

In 2022, the French Health Agency Anses confirmed a connection between the nitritis in jam and colorectal cancer.

However, the UK Food Standards Agency still states that nitrite is ‘safe’ and ‘necessary’ to produce certain processed meats.

The campaigns asked them to change their minds and think of existing alternatives.