Spaniards eat too much meat, especially processed types, reveals WHO
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 @ 11:04 AM
PROCESSED meat being classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the same category of cancer-causing substances as cigarettes has caused a stir among manufacturers throughout Europe – and highlighted the fact that people in Spain eat too much of it.
A total of 80,979 people in Spain work in the meat industry, which has an annual turnover of nearly €22.2 billion – accounting for over 21.6% of the country's food-producing sector and 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The WHO has placed hamburgers, sausages – including hot dogs – and bacon in the top group for cancer risk, along with smoking, saying it is a prime cause of colon or bowel cancer.
This is the most frequent form of tumour seen in Spain, ahead of lung and breast cancer, and responsible for the second-highest number of cancer deaths in the country.
The WHO has placed red meat in general in the second group, which is not as high-risk as burgers and sausages.
Spain as a whole has an 'acceptable' level of red meat consumption, according to WHO figures, at 485.7 grams a week – below the recommended maximum of 500 grams.
But residents overdo the processed meat, eating 314 grams a week when the WHO recommends 'little or none'.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com