March 1, 2010 | 2 minute read

It bears repeating: Our message at AICR is evidence-based, not agenda-driven.

One of our 10 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention is to limit meat consumption. Our Expert Panel judged that the evidence linking diets high in red meat and processed meat to colorectal cancer is convincing.  So they said:

“To reduce your cancer risk, eat no more than 18 oz. (cooked weight) per week of red meats like beef, pork and lamb, and avoid processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages.”

In our materials, we show you how easy it is to follow that recommendation.  Our recipes de-emphasize meat in favor of vegetables, grains, beans and fruit.  We suggest ways to divide up those 18 ounces per week.  And we recommend saving hot dogs and sausage for special occasions.

Even so, our recommendation on meat isn’t popular with special interests.  Vegetarian groups don’t like it because it leaves room on the plate for moderate amounts of meat.

And the meat industry? They see our recommendation as an attack on their bottom line, and do everything they can to attack the recommendation, and the exhaustive report it came from.

Case in point: The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has just released their own “technical summary” of the science on the meat-cancer link.  Three guesses what it concludes.

Now that they’ve published it themselves, the rest of the scientific community can finally get a look at this document members of the meat lobby have been talking about — but not showing to anyone — for two years.

So: How does it hold up to our Expert Report?  See for yourself.