Meat and cancer: not all animal products are created equal
Earlier this week, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)
released its global report on diet and cancer. WCRF acts as an
umbrella group for several leading international organizations,
including the American Institute for Cancer Research and cancer
organizations in Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong.
The group released its last global report in 1997, stirring up
more than a little controversy. At that time, the American Meat
Institute, the National Cattlemen’s Association, and other
industry groups were upset about the report’s key conclusions
about the connections between meat (especially red and/or
processed meats) and different types of cancers. A decade later,
the complaints from the meat industry are even louder. For
weeks, meat industry websites (including meatingplace.com) have
been anticipating the report’s release and criticizing it even
before they see an actual copy. For the record, here’s what the
new report has to say on meat: