Portuguese meat association rejects WHO cancer study

A report by the Association of the Portuguese Meat Industry (APIC) firmly rejected on Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO) report last month linking cancer risks to processed and red meat.

"The association has been proactive to provide as much detail as possible information for the consumer to have a broader understanding on both hazard identification and assessment of associated risks," read the APIC report.

The APIC report claimed that the WHO study has inappropriately attributed the risk to a single factor, stating "it is inappropriate to attribute a higher cancer risk to just one factor (meats)."

"This is a very complex subject that can be dependent on a combination of many other factors, such as age, genetics, diet, environment and lifestyle. Not only a particular group of food by itself that defines the risks to health but the diet as a whole, in conjunction with any of the other factors," the report said.

The APIC report said that the meat and meat products in the WHO study did not include risk assessment, meaning that the study did not take into account the real exposure to the substance linked to its potential to cause cancer.

The APIC criticized the WHO report, saying it has affected the meat industry in Portugal, reporting a 5 percent decrease in meat sales in Portugal since the report was announced in October.

The official bodies, medical societies and experts recommend the consumption of all food groups in order to have a healthy, varied and balanced diet, including moderate consumption of meat products. Enditem