Source:  Christine Steffens, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 8/3/10

The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) said a study published over the weekend by the American Cancer Society linking nitrite and nitrate compounds, often found in processed meats, to increased bladder cancer risk is a case of “perpetuating a myth” and “nutrition whiplash.”

The original study, conducted by researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, followed approximately 300,000 men and women over seven years with frequent diet analyses. During that period, participants diagnosed with bladder cancer also consumed diets with elevated levels of nitrites and nitrates from all food sources, in addition to nitrites from processed meats.

The NCI study ultimately noted in the conclusion “modest support” for the correlation, but singled out nitrite consumption from processed meats as a significant factor of the research.

AMIF President James F. Hodges said in a news release the NCI study creates needless confusion and defended processed meats as a part of a healthy, balanced diet. He cited another study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program that failed to associate high levels of ingested sodium nitrite (in rats and mice) with any type of cancer.

Nitrites and nitrates are not only found in cooked and processed meats as a preservative but also in vegetables like beets, radishes, rhubarb, celery, endive and other greens. The nitrite-cancer debate has been ongoing since the early 1970s.

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