FSA’s defence of processed meat compounds consumer confusion

The Provision Trade Federation (PTF) has criticised the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for adding to confusion in a statement defending ham against national press allegations that it causes cancer.

In a letter to FSA director of communications Terence Collis, Clare Cheney, PTF director general, wrote: “The fact that you issued a statement supporting the use of ham in children’s lunchboxes was most welcome.

“However, considering the focus of media attention was ham, your blanket statement about processed meats containing high levels of saturated fat was misleading because ham contains only around 3% total fat of which only one third is saturated. The statement, she said, “gave with one hand and took away with the other”
The FSA’s statement, issued on August 17 in response to media reports of World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) calls for people to reduce the amount of processed meat in their diets, read: “Processed meats, such as ham and salami, can form part of a balanced diet and parents shouldn’t be concerned about occasionally including these in their children’s lunchboxes.
“However, processed meats can contain high levels of fat, particularly saturated fat, and salt, so we wouldn’t recommend eating them too often.”

Bob Farrand, director of the Guild of Fine Food, blasted the WRCF children’s education manager Marni Craze for her comments. “The most charitable thing these people can do is shut up,” said Farrand. “They clearly have little or no understanding of food, diet or the impact it has on us. What exactly do they mean by ‘processed meat’ anyway and where’s the evidence to support their findings?

“Ham and salami have been with us for at least two thousand years. Ms Craze needs to stop scare mongering and spend a little more time studying complete diets rather than individual foods and encouraging the population that the only bad food is cheap, nasty mass produced stuff.”