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Setting the Record Straight on Meat

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 27, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care Food Processing and Sales

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to set the record straight regarding a claim this week by the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying processed meats as carcinogenic and red meat as a probable carcinogen.

According to the American Cancer Society, there is a lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer of 5 percent. By this organization's own findings, eating a cold-cut sandwich or a hot dog every day would only raise that risk to around 6 percent.

Doctors with the International Agency for the Research on Cancer admit that the risk for someone to develop cancer due to red meat consumption is dwarfed by the risk caused by cigarette and alcohol consumption.

With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, this study should not be used for scaremongering in causing people across the Nation to believe that red meats or processed foods are dangerous.

The fact remains that variety is the key to a healthy, well-balanced diet, and that cancer is not caused by a single food.

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