Processed meat

AvoidCaution

6 studies · 2 recommendations

Last updated: February 25, 2026

Avoid3 studies

Processed meat consumption directly increases colorectal cancer risk across multiple populations

Three studies encompassing over 19,000 participants consistently link processed meat intake to elevated colorectal cancer risk. A large case-control study of 9,287 cases and 9,117 controls found statistically significant risk increases per quartile of processed meat consumption, with a gene-diet interaction amplifying risk up to 39% among TT genotype carriers (OR = 1.39; p = 8.7E-09). A Swiss case-control study of 323 colorectal cancer patients and 1,271 controls demonstrated a 2.5-fold increased risk for the highest versus lowest quartile of processed meat intake, robust across age, alcohol, and smoking subgroups. The Latin American and Caribbean Code Against Cancer, informed by systematic review, classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 1) and explicitly recommends avoidance for cancer prevention.

Evidence

Latin American and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer 1st edition : Weight, physical activity, diet, breastfeeding, and cancer

Authors: Aburto, T.C., Barnoya, J., Barquera, S., Canelo-Aybar, C., Cavalcante, T.M., Corvalán, C., Espina, C., Feliu, A., Hallal, P.C., Reynales-Shigematsu, L.M., Rivera, J.A., Romieu, I., Santero, Marilina, Stern, M.C., Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Published: January 1, 2023

The Latin American and Caribbean Code Against Cancer consensus statement, developed through systematic review of global cancer prevention evidence, identifies processed meat as increasing colorectal cancer risk. This aligns with IARC Group 1 classification of processed meat as carcinogenic to humans. The code specifically lists processed meat among foods to avoid, noting excess body weight is associated with at least 15 cancer sites. The recommendation targets the general public across Latin America and the Caribbean, where dietary patterns increasingly include processed foods contributing to cancer burden.

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Processed meat and the risk of selected digestive tract and laryngeal neoplasms in Switzerland

Authors: Bosetti, C., La Vecchia, C., Levi, F., Lucchini, F., Pasche, C.

Published: August 2, 2017

A hospital-based case-control study in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (1992–2002) evaluated 323 patients with incident, histologically confirmed colorectal cancer and 1271 controls admitted for acute non-neoplastic conditions unrelated to long-term dietary modification. A strong direct trend in risk was demonstrated across quartiles of processed meat consumption. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for the highest versus lowest quartile of processed meat intake was 2.5 for colorectal cancer. The relationship was stronger among younger subjects, moderate drinkers, and non-smokers, indicating that processed meat is a robust dietary risk indicator for colorectal cancer independent of major lifestyle confounders.

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Genome-Wide Diet-Gene Interaction Analyses for Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Authors: A Tenesa, AD Skol, AH Nguyen, AL Price, AM Nomura, Andrew T. Chan, Anja Rudolph, AY Liu, B Mukherjee, B Woolf, Barbara Fortini, Bette J. Caan, Brent W. Zanke, Brian E. Henderson, BW Zanke, C Kooperberg, Carolyn M. Hutter, CC Dahm, CE Murcray, Christopher I. Amos, Christopher S. Carlson, CJ Hoggart, CL Pearce, CM Hutter, Conghui Qu, Cornelia M. Ulrich, Daniela Seminara, David Duggan, DD Alexander, DD Alexander, Deanna L. Stelling, E Giovannucci, Edward L. Giovannucci, Emily White, F Dudbridge, FJ van Duijnhoven, Fredrick R. Schumacher, GA Colditz, GP Christophi, Graham Casey, Greg S. Warnick, H Brenner, Hermann Brenner, I Fortier, I Ionita-Laza, I Pe'er, I Tomlinson, IP Tomlinson, J Chou, J Lin, Jane C. Figueiredo, JC Figueiredo, Jenny Chang-Claude, Jian Gong, John A. Baron, John D. Potter, John L. Hopper, JY Dai, JY Dai, K Roeder, Kana Wu, Keith R. Curtis, KR Rosenbloom, L Hsu, Laurence N. Kolonel, Li Hsu, Loic Le Marchand, M Cotterchio, M Hedlund, M Hoffmeister, Mark A. Jenkins, Mark Thornquist, Martha L. Slattery, Mathieu Lemire, Michael Hoffmeister, Michelle Cotterchio, ML Slattery, N Risch, NJ Ollberding, P Broderick, PA Newcomb, PC Prorok, Peter T. Campbell, Polly A. Newcomb, QJ Wu, R Siegel, R Zheng, RB Gupta, Richard B. Hayes, Robert E. Schoen, Robert W. Haile, RS Houlston, S Jiao, S Kury, Shuo Jiao, SN Bennett, Sonja I. Berndt, Stephanie A. Rosse, Stephen J. Chanock, Stephen N. Thibodeau, Steven Gallinger, T Hosoya, Tabitha A. Harrison, U Peters, Ulrike Peters, W. James Gauderman, WG Christen, WH Jia, WJ Gauderman, WW Piegorsch, Y Park, Yi Lin

Published: January 1, 2014

In a case-control study of 9,287 colorectal cancer cases and 9,117 controls from ten studies, per quartile increment in processed meat intake was associated with statistically significant increased colorectal cancer risk. A significant gene-diet interaction was detected between rs4143094 and processed meat consumption (OR = 1.17; p = 8.7E-09), consistent across studies (p heterogeneity = 0.78). Risk was elevated among rs4143094-TG genotype carriers (OR = 1.20) and TT carriers (OR = 1.39), while null among GG carriers (OR = 1.03).

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Caution3 studies

Processed meat consumption linked to increased colorectal cancer risk through heme iron

Three studies encompassing over 700,000 participants consistently connect processed meat intake with elevated colorectal cancer risk. A meta-analysis of 566,607 individuals found high heme iron intake — abundant in processed meats — associated with an 18% increased risk of colon cancer (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06–1.32), driven by nitrosation and lipoperoxidation mechanisms. A prospective cohort of 137,217 individuals identified the Western dietary pattern, characterized by high processed meat consumption, as a risk factor across colorectal cancer subtypes. A British cohort of 2,256 adults demonstrated that higher processed meat consumption correlates with increased sodium and fat intake alongside lower fibre, reflecting poorer overall dietary quality. The converging epidemiological and mechanistic evidence supports limiting processed meat to reduce colorectal cancer risk.

Evidence

Dietary Patterns and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Subtypes Classified by Fusobacterium nucleatum in Tumor Tissue

Authors: Bullman, Susan, Cao, Yin, Chan, Andrew T., Drew, David A., Fuchs, Charles S., Fung, Teresa T., Garrett, Wendy S., Giovannucci, Edward L., Hamada, Tsuyoshi, Huttenhower, Curtis, Kostic, Aleksandar D., Kosumi, Keisuke, Masugi, Yohei, Mehta, Raaj S., Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A., Mima, Kosuke, Nishihara, Reiko, Nowak, Jonathan A., Ogino, Shuji, Qian, Zhi Rong, Song, Mingyang, Willett, Walter C., Wu, Kana, Zhang, Xuehong

Published: July 1, 2018

In this prospective cohort of 137,217 individuals with 1,019 colorectal cancer cases over 3,643,562 person-years, the Western dietary pattern (characterized by high intake of red and processed meat, refined grains, and desserts) did not show significant heterogeneity between F. nucleatum-positive and F. nucleatum-negative colorectal cancer subtypes (Pheterogeneity = .23). In contrast, the prudent diet pattern showed a strong inverse association specifically with F. nucleatum-positive cancer (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.25–0.72, Ptrend = .003).

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Heme iron from meat and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis and a review of the mechanisms involved

Authors: Bingham, Chen, Clinton, Cross, Cummings, de Vogel, Denis E. Corpet, Douglass, Fabrice H.F. Pierre, Grant, Leuratti, Marnett, Mirvish, Nadia M. Bastide, Nauss, Nutter, Parnaud, Pierre, Pierre, Sandhu, Sawa, Schwartz, Sesink, Shuker, Sinha

Published: January 1, 2011

This meta-analysis examined data from 566,607 individuals with 4,734 colon cancer cases from prospective cohort studies. High heme iron intake, found in processed meats, was associated with an 18% increased risk of colon cancer (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06-1.32) when comparing highest versus lowest intake categories. Both epidemiological and experimental evidence support the hypothesis that heme iron present in meat promotes colorectal carcinogenesis through multiple mechanistic pathways including nitrosation and lipoperoxidation.

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Meat consumption after disaggregation of meat dishes in a cohort of British adults in 1989 and 1999 in relation to diet quality

Authors: Prynne, C. J., Stephen, A. M., Wadsworth, M. E.J., Wagemakers, J.J.M.F.

Published: February 20, 2008

In a cohort of 2256 British adults (1989) and 1772 adults (1999) from the MRC 1946 birth cohort, increasing processed meat consumption was associated with increased intakes of energy, fat, haem iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 alongside lower fibre intake. Sodium intake specifically increased with higher processed meat consumption, distinguishing it from unprocessed red meat and poultry. The quantity of red or processed meat in the diet was reflected in the nutrient content of the entire diet, indicating that processed meat consumption tracks with broader dietary quality patterns across the full cohort.

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