Hot-dog makers, meat eaters shrug off WHO cancer report

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Hot-dog makers and meat sellers say a report from the World Health Organization labeling wieners, bacon and other processed meats as cancer-causers is baloney.

WHO said Monday that processed meats raised the risk of colon, stomach and other cancers. It also said red meat probably contributes to the disease, too.

Meat eaters at a New York food court mostly shrugged off the report Monday. And Wall Street investors seemed to do the same, with shares of meat producers little changed.

The North American Meat Institute, which represents meat producers, said the report was “alarmist.”

Hormel Foods, which sells Spam, sliced bacon and canned chili, said the report “did not look at the benefits of meat consumption,” which it cited as including “important nutrients” and “high-quality proteins.”

But Hormel also may be preparing for a shift in consumers eating less processed foods. Earlier this year it paid $775 million to buy Applegate Farms, which sells organic deli meats, hot dogs and bacon, and doesn’t use antibiotics, hormones, artificial ingredients or chemical preservatives.