Processed meats remain a safe and nutritious part of a balanced diet, and attempts by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) to sound warnings about processed meats in a new report are misguided because they rely on a few weak studies when many other studies have affirmed their safety.
A close look at the new WCRF report reveals that the increased risk of stomach cancer they try to attach to processed meats are consumed people who have had H. pylori infections that commonly cause ulcers. A 2012 paper by Bryan et. al. also identified H. pylori as a potential causative agent that warranted further study -- not processed meats or the nitrite sometimes contained within. The National Cancer Institute also has documented evidence of a relationship between H. pylori and stomach cancer.