A leading scientist has urged ministers to ban the use of nitrites in food after research highlighted the "clear" risk of developing cancer from eating processed meat.
The study found that mice fed a diet of processed meat containing the chemicals, which are used to cure bacon and give it its distinctive pink colour, developed 75% more cancer than mice that didn't eat processed meat.
The mice that were fed pork developed more tumours than the control group.
The leader of the government's investigation into the horsemeat scandal was one of the people who conducted the research trial.
The government's position on nitrites in processed meat needs to be changed. The new study shows that the cancer risk associated with nitrite-cured meat is clear. There is a risk to public health from the daily consumption of bacon and ham.
The study showed that mice fed a similar amount of pork did not have an increase in tumours.
According to Dr Brian Green, one of the authors of the report, not all processed meats have the same risk of cancer.
Most of the bacon sold in Britain is thought to be made with nitrites, which have been linked to the development of cancer. Frankfurter sausages are one of the continental meat products that use the chemical.
Although a diet of 15% nitrite-laden processed meat is a relatively high intake, the researchers suggest that even lower quantities could still increase the risk of cancer.
An updated draft opinion from the European Food Safety Authority suggests that levels of nitrites in food could indicate a health concern.
The European Food Safety Authority and the French government are following the facts and should be applauded. The UK government needs to do the same.
Another member of the group calling for a ban was a former health minister who is now a doctor.
The latest evidence on the health risks of nitrites needs to be reviewed by the ministers.
The UK government is failing to keep their promise to maintain high food standards because they have rejected legislation to ban potentially dangerous nitrites.
The new study will be evaluated according to the head of science, evidence and research at the Food Standards Agency.
He said that nitrates impede the growth of harmful organisms, in particular thebacteria responsible for botulism, which can be life threatening.
They need to pass a robust safety assessment before they can be approved.
The government recommends that people limit their consumption of red and processed meats to 70g per day because of a possible link to cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, nitrites are a cause of colorectal cancer.
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