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U.S. NEWSTuesday 27 October 2015
WHO links hot dogs, other processed meat to cancer Ole Miss removes
Mississippi flag with
ANGELA CHARLTON Confederate mark
Associated Press
WASHINGTON/PARIS (AP) Mark Story, of Houston, cooks hot dogs and hamburgers for friends and family as they tailgate EMILY PETTUS
— Bacon, hot dogs and before an NCAA college football game between SMU and TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas. On the eve DAVID BRANDT
cold cuts are under fire: The of the World Series, where hot dogs are a staple in the stands, the World Health Organization on Associated Press
World Health Organization Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 labeled the all-American wiener, bacon and other processed meats as OXFORD, Mississippi (AP)
threw its global weight be- being “carcinogenic to humans.” — The University of Missis-
hind years of experts’ warn- sippi quietly took down
ings and declared Monday (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) the state flag on Monday,
that processed meats raise heeding the calls of those
the risk of colon and stom- where sausages are sa- ies from several continents dations and said it did not who say its divisive Con-
ach cancer and that red vored and smoked ham is about meat and cancer. have enough data to de- federate battle emblem is
meat is probably harmful, a national delicacy. The studies looked at more fine how much processed harming the school’s future
too. And they could hurt the than a dozen types of can- meat is too dangerous. But in an age of diversity.
Meat producers are angry, American meat industry, cer in populations with di- it said the risk rises with the Interim Chancellor Mor-
vegetarians are feeling vin- which is arguing vigorously verse diets over the past 20 amount consumed. ris Stocks waited until the
dicated, and cancer ex- against linking their prod- years. Based on that analy- An analysis of 10 of the flag was gone before an-
perts are welcoming the ucts with cancer, contend- sis, the IARC classified pro- studies suggested that a 50- nouncing he had ordered
most comprehensive pro- ing that the disease in- cessed meat as “carcino- gram portion of processed it taken down and sent to
nouncement yet on the re- volves a number of lifestyle genic to humans,” noting meat daily — or about 1.75 the university’s archives.
lation between our modern and environmental factors. links in particular to colon ounces — increases the risk Campus police officers
meat-eating lifestyles and While U.S. rates of colon cancer. It said red meat of colorectal cancer over furled it from the flagpole
cancer. cancer have been declin- contains some important a lifetime by about 18 per- where it flew under the U.S.
The WHO’s International ing, it is the No. 2 cancer for nutrients, but still labeled it cent. An ounce and three- flag, between the white-
Agency for Research on women worldwide and No. “probably carcinogenic,” quarters is roughly equiva- columned main admin-
Cancer in Lyon, France, 3 for men, according to the with links to colon, prostate lent to a hot dog or a few istration building and a
analyzed decades of re- WHO. A group of 22 scien- and pancreatic cancers. slices of bologna, though it marble statue of a saluting
search and for the first time tists from the IARC evalu- The agency made no spe- depends on how thinly it is Confederate soldier.
put processed meats in the ated more than 800 stud- cific dietary recommen- sliced.q Days earlier, the student
same danger category as and faculty senates voted
smoking or asbestos. That to urge its removal from the
doesn’t mean salami is as Oxford campus, a bastion
bad as cigarettes, only that for Southern elites since its
there’s a confirmed link to founding in 1848. A group
cancer. And even then, of university leaders then
the risk is small. met Sunday night and
The results aren’t that agreed to take it down.
shocking in the U.S., where “Because the flag remains
many parents fret over Mississippi’s official banner,
chemicals in cured meats this was a hard decision. I
and the American Cancer understand the flag repre-
Society has long cautioned sents tradition and honor
against eating too much to some. But to others,
steak and deli. the flag means that some
But the U.N. agency’s find- members of the Ole Miss
ings could shake up public family are not welcomed
health attitudes elsewhere, or valued,” Stock’s state-
such as European countries ment said.
What became a lasting
Hot dog makers, meat sellers shake off WHO report symbol of the rebel South
and is now known as the
JOSEPH PISANI seemed to do the same, which it cited as including the maker of Ball Park hot “Confederate flag” or
AP Business Writer with shares of meat pro- “important nutrients” and dogs, Jimmy Dean sausage “rebel flag” is the rectan-
NEW YORK (AP) — Hot dog ducers little changed. “high quality proteins.” and Hillshire Farm ham, fell gular version of the Con-
makers and meat sellers The North American Meat But Hormel may also be pre- nearly 5 percent, but that federate Army battle flag
say a report from the World Institute, which represents paring for a shift in consum- was attributed more to a — a star-studded blue
Health Organization label- meat producers, said the ers eating less processed research report from a JPM- ‘X’ overlaying a red field.
ing wieners, bacon and report was “alarmist.” foods. Earlier this year it organ Chase analyst that This version was flown by
other processed meats as “Classifying red and pro- paid $775 million to buy said Tyson is losing market various Confederate Army
cancer-causers is baloney. cessed meat as cancer Applegate Farms, which share to competitors. units, including the big-
WHO said Monday that ‘hazards’ defies both com- sells organic deli meats, Whether Americans will gest, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s
processed meats raised mon sense and numerous hot dogs and bacon, and stay away from hot dogs, Army of Northern Virginia.
the risk of colon, stomach studies showing no corre- doesn’t useantibiotics, hor- bacon and other meaty The flag is used to honor
and other cancers. It also lation between meat and mones, artificial ingredients treats remains to be seen. Confederate war dead
said red meat probably cancer,” the association or chemical preservatives. Visitors at a food court in and is embraced by many
contributes to the disease, said in a statement. Shares of Hormel Foods New York’s Penn Station, white Southerners who say
too. Hormel Foods, which sells Corp. fell 1 percent Mon- which houses a Nathan’s it symbolizes Southern and
Meat eaters at a New York Spam, sliced bacon and day, as did shares of Kraft Famous hot dog restau- ancestral pride. Parts of its
food court mostly shrugged canned chili, said the report Heinz Co., which makes rant, mostly said the WHO design were incorporated
off the report Monday. “did not look at the bene- Oscar Mayer hot dogs. report won’t change what into the state flag of South
And Wall Street investors fits of meat consumption,” Shares of Tyson Foods Inc., they eat.q Carolina. q
