Soil Association response to research linking red meat to cancer

Making front pages today is the findings from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which links red meat consumption to cancer.

The WCRF report, published yesterday, recommends that everyone should limit their consumption of red meat to no more than 500g of cooked red meat per week and avoid processed meat such as bacon, ham, salami, corned beef and some sausages.

A timely announcement, it being the first day of Vegan Month, but the Soil Association (SA) has responded critically to the report, as it draws no distinction between organic and intensively-produced meat.

SA policy adviser Richard Young said: ‘We support the WCRF’s message that all meat should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, but these scientists are throwing out the baby with the bathwater by failing to recognise the major global increases taking place in organic farming and condemning all red and processed meat equally. There is compelling evidence that red meat from organic and some other grass-fed animals is positively beneficial in protecting against the risk of cancer.’

In brief, the evidence the SA refers to includes a US based study which found up to 500 per cent more of two types of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA’s - known as ‘cis 9’ and ‘trans 11’), which are recognised as beneficial in protecting against cancer, in beef from cattle fed grass-based diets compared to beef from animals on typically high cereal-maize diets. In contrast grain-fed beef was shown to have higher levels of other CLAs believed to be harmful.

To put this research into context, all organic cattle in the EU have grass-based diets with levels of concentrate restricted.

The SA also refers to research carried out in Australia, which found that grass fed cattle also have higher levels of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of Omega-6 fatty acids. Separate correlating research in the US has recently shown that diets high in Omega-3 fatty acids and low in Omega-6 fatty acids lower the inflammatory response known to promote the growth of prostate cancer tumours.

Further evidence is also available suggesting that levels of other anti-oxidants such as Vitamin E and beta-carotene, also known to protect against cancer will be higher in meat from grass-fed animals.

The SA points out that none of this evidence has been reviewed by the WCRF in its report.