A plant-based group run by doctors has called on the NHS to ban bacon and sausages in hospital canteens over a perceived cancer risk.
Doctors in the Health Professionals vegan group have launched a campaign called #GiveBaconTheBoot.
According to them, processed meat like bacon causes 'harm and shortens lives'.
The group says: “The NHS spends millions on treating people suffering with Cancer, Heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Then on the other hand serves processed meat to patients and staff, that can cause these life threatening conditions.
“Removing processed meat would send a clear message to the public of the risks that these foods pose to public health.
“We are planning multiple ways to raise public awareness of the health risks and cost to the NHS that processes causes.This page is on how the public can engage and spread awareness.”
Scientists from University of Oxford have recently shown that people eating around 76g of red and processed meat a day - which is roughly in line with government recommendations - still had a 20% higher chance of developing bowel cancer than those who only ate about 21g a day.
But a clash in past opinion by other experts on the subject has led some to think that such stories are 'sensationalist' and 'rubbish'.
Carrie Ruxton, of the Meat Advisory Panel, said: “Red meat provides valuable nutrients, such as protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D and B vitamins.”
She added “a range of lifestyle factors have a significant impact on the risk of bowel cancer, most notably age, genetics, lack of dietary fibre, inactivity and high alcohol consumption”.
Some users on social media reacted to the news, calling it 'sensationalist' and 'rubbish'.
It follows the Transport for London (TFL) banning an advert containing bacon, butter and eggs which was due to run on the London Underground.
It was rejected because it was deemed 'too unhealthy'.
