The government has said it stands by the Food Standards Agency in the extraordinary row with World Health Organization scientists demanding action over the safety risks of nitrites in processed meat such as bacon and ham, The Grocer can reveal.
In a parliamentary answer to shadow cabinet minister Andrew Bowie, the DHSC described a controversial review by the watchdog as an “important piece of work” and said there were no plans for it to be withdrawn.
In October, the authors of a 10-year-old WHO report raising the alarm over a link with cancer from the ingredients accused the FSA and the government of a “dereliction of duty” in failing to take action.
They claim the decison had resulted in more than 50,000 British people suffering from bowel cancer.
Last month, The Grocer revealed a Freedom of Information request obtained by the scientists and their supporters had shown the FSA’s own experts had raised serious concerns over the limitations of the report it has used to deny the cancer risks.
The Coalition Against Nitrites, which also includes Professor Chris Elliott, the man who led the government’s review into the horsemeat scandal, had called for the report to be withdrawn. But in a response to Bowie, who is also part of the campaign group, parliamentary undersecretary for health Ashley Dalton said: “The Food Standards Agency review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work and will not be withdrawn.”
She claimed the review was never intended to provide a full risk assessment, but instead to summarise the available evidence.
“Current policy continues to align with NHS dietary advice, which recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat, some of which contain nitrites, to 70g per day.
“We understand public concern about potential long-term health effects, including cancer risk, and remain committed to monitoring emerging evidence closely.
“To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.”
The FOI request revealed members of the FSA Committee on Toxicity raised fears that “key studies may have been missed” from the review, carried out by the consultancy RSM.
The FSA has continued to refuse to declare nitrites a health risk, instead issuing advice urging consumers to limit consumption of red meat.
Dalton said: “Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.”
A spokesman for the Coalition Against Nitrites said: “RSM’s selective literature review has now been completely discredited — including by the FSA’s own scientific advisers.
“It must be withdrawn immediately and replaced with a full, independent assessment that reflects the entire body of evidence. The FSA’s current stance not only undermines public confidence in the regulator, but leaves UK consumers exposed to greater risks from nitrite-cured meats than citizens in the EU. That is an indefensible position a decade after the WHO’s cancer warning.”
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