Whether it’s a savory bacon roll in the morning or a ham sandwich at lunchtime, a significant number of Britons, about one in five, indulge in a sandwich filled with processed meat at least three times each week.
Though these choices are often affordable, satisfying, and delicious, recent studies have highlighted potential health concerns. Specifically, preservatives such as nitrates, which are used to enhance the pink hue of pork and prolong its freshness, have been linked to serious cancer risks.
In the UK, it’s estimated that up to 90% of the bacon and ham available in stores contains nitrites.
Since October 2015, these findings have led the World Health Organization to categorize processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen. This classification aligns them with well-known hazards such as tobacco and asbestos.
As health awareness grows and social media figures advocate for greater scrutiny of ingredient labels, supermarkets are reporting a surge in demand for pork products free from nitrites.
This trend has motivated many brands to expand their offerings of ‘naked’ or nitrite-free products, catering to consumers seeking healthier alternatives.
Previously, nitrate-free options were hard to come by and came at a premium, such as Finnebrogue Naked Bacon, which costs around £3.75 for six rashers.
But last month, Waitrose became the first major UK supermarket to launch a ‘Made Without Nitrites’ ham range, joining the retailer’s two existing nitrite-free bacon lines.
Up to 90 per cent of bacon sold in the UK is thought to contain nitrites, which have been linked to cancer
The products retail at £3.50 for six slices in ‘honey roast’ and ‘roast’ flavours.
Jonny Stevens, Meat, Fish & Poultry Buyer at Waitrose, says, ‘We know our customers are looking for a return to basics: simpler ingredients and cleaner labels, with zero compromise on that delicious deli taste.
‘That’s why we’ve spent the last year perfecting our new nitrite-free ham range.
‘By removing the preservatives without losing the flavour, we’re proud to be the first retailer to raise the bar for this British lunchtime staple – proving that ‘less is more’ when it comes to quality.’
But just how healthy are these products – and should you make the switch?
Last year, the Food Standards Agency issued a report saying there was ‘no evidence to suggest that processed meat made without the use of nitrates is a safer alternative.’
In ‘nitrate-free’ products, manufacturers usually replace the preservative with celery juice powder or vegetable extracts, such as spinach or carob.
These plants are naturally high in nitrates and are added alongside bacterial cultures that convert the plant nitrates into nitrites to cure the meat.
Waitrose became the first major UK supermarket to launch a ‘Made Without Nitrites’ ham range
Broadly speaking, many researchers would say these products are not necessarily meaningfully different from conventionally cured meats in terms of nitrite chemistry.
Alternatively, some brands use fruit and spice extracts paired with sea salt.
Waitrose’s traditional British roast ham is 96 per cent pork, with added salt, stabilisers and an antioxidant, plus sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate as preservatives.
The nitrite-free version has 94 per cent pork, salt, two antioxidants, water and ‘flavourings’. Both have dextrose, which is a sugar.
Preservatives replacing the nitrites are within the ‘flavourings’ and ‘antioxidants’, and differ between producers, Simona Grasso, a food scientist and lecturer at University College Dublin, told The Times.
Manufacturers may use ingredients such as acerola cherry extract, rosemary extract, green tea extract, vinegar powders and salt-based preservatives such as potassium lactate.
Some of these contain antioxidant compounds that may help reduce the formation of potentially harmful chemicals linked to cured meats.
However, experts say evidence that these alternatives are significantly safer remains limited.
The product launch comes after scientists called for a ban on supermarket bacon and ham after the chemicals used in their production were linked to more than 50,000 bowel cancer cases.
A coalition of leading scientists said the refusal to ban nitrites has come at a devastating human and financial cost, with the NHS footing an estimated £3 billion bill to treat preventable cancers over the past decade.
Their analysis, based on figures from Cancer Research UK and the British Journal of Cancer, estimates that around 5,400 bowel cancer cases each year in the UK are caused by eating processed meats. Treatment costs for each patient average £59,000.
They also call for a long-term plan to phase out nitrite use in all processed meats sold in the UK, backed by regulatory measures to ensure compliance, and funding to help smaller producers switch to safer alternatives.
The experts have also written to the European Union’s health and food safety commissioner, urging similar action, while acknowledging that the EU has already begun to reduce permitted nitrite levels.
Professor Elliott, who also led the Government’s investigation into the horsemeat scandal, said manufacturers should adopt natural curing alternatives already proven safe and effective.
He added: ‘Every year of delay means more preventable cancer, more families affected and greater strain on the NHS.’
Current NHS guidelines advise limiting processed meat consumption to no more than 70g a day – around two rashers of bacon.
The World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research go further, recommending eating very little, if any.
Professor Ian Young, chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘We know that eating too much processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer and other illnesses, as evidenced by the World Health Organisation.
‘The exact cause of these risks remains unclear, and this is why we fully support the NHS advice that people who eat more than 90g of red or processed meat a day should cut down to no more than 70g.
‘It’s important to understand that choosing nitrite-free processed meat does not remove all of the health risks associated with high consumption of processed meat.’
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