ANSES confirms that nitrites in cold cuts increase the risk of colon cancer – CNEWS

In a report revealed this Saturday, July 9, the National Food Safety Agency (Anses) pointed to the role of nitrites, present in industrial charcuterie, in the development of colon cancer. The government is planning an action plan in the fall. After leaking on Saturday, the ANSES report caused a stir before its official publication on Tuesday July 12. The 11-page document made it possible to establish the link between the presence of nitrites in processed meats and the development of colon cancer in consumers. Present in 75% of charcuterie sold in supermarkets, nitrites are preservatives that give ham its pink color and prevent the formation of bacteria. “New epidemiological studies show that they increase the risk of cancer”, according to the document relayed by the JDD. In detail, the digestion step is the most conducive to the appearance of colon cancer for nitrite consumers. “They are not dangerous in themselves; the toxicity comes from their association with other compounds of cold cuts and substances which are formed during their degradation in the digestive tract”, detailed the report. On Tuesday, the government announced that it wanted to put in place an “action plan aimed at reducing the addition of nitro additives in food products”. It will be presented in the fall to Parliament, after confirmation by the health authority of a link between the risk of cancer and exposure to these additives. ANSES provides ways to limit the risks For the sake of “food safety”, ANSES recommended “reducing the exposure of the population through proactive measures, by limiting exposure through food”. Another track was put forward by the agency, namely “to produce scientific data to review the acceptable daily intakes (ADI) taking into account the toxicity of these substances”. As a reminder, the WHO has classified sausages as carcinogenic to humans since 2015. In 2018, it estimated that nearly 4,000 cases of colon cancer linked to sausages in France.