By Chung Ah-young
The daily average amount of red and processed meat consumed by Koreans is not at a dangerous level because it is far below the cancer-causing level warned of by an international health body, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Monday.
The ministry announced the results of the public health and nutrition study between 2010 and 2013, as public concern has grown since the World Health Organization (WHO) published the report about the carcinogenicity of red and processed meat such as sausages, bacon and ham as equivalent to the toxicity of products containing asbestos, alcohol and tobacco.
According to the study, the daily average amount of processed meat consumed by the typical Korean is 6 grams, which is far below the amount of 50 grams per day, which increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent.
Also, the average amount of red meat such as pork and beef eaten by Koreans is 61.5 grams a day, well below the 100 grams that will likely increase cancer risks by the 17 percent mentioned in the WHO report.
However, the ministry said that it can be risky 20 to 30 years from now if a person’s consumption of these meats continues at a high rate.
It stated that the amount of consumption varies according to age and gender groups. The study shows that teens consume the largest amount of processed meat while men in their 20s eat the largest amount of red meat.