I’m sure you’ve heard the World Health Organization’s announcement that processed meat such as bacon, sausage, and ham “may” cause cancer and unprocessed red meat is “probably” carcinogenic to humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the WHO, “concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.” (Note to self: buy stock in this).
The study throws red meat, veal, lamb, mutton, horse, pork, and goat under the culinary bus along with meat that has “been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation.” According to my unscientific evaluation that is about 80 percent of the food supply. This news seems a cruel twist. Barbecue, charcuterie, steaks, and hot dogs are four of the hottest food trends in America. Will the Surgeon General treat meat like cigarettes and plaster spiral hams with warnings? Will grocery stores stock scads of hummus in cases that one held thick slabs of rib-eye? Should we panic or put on blinders? I’ll let you know what I’m going to do after my lunch at Pecan Lodge.
