Processed Meats at Christmas: What’s the Real Risk and How Can We Reduce It?

Ham at breakfast, pigs in blankets at lunch, sausage rolls at snack time — the festive season is one of the few periods of the year when processed meats can become a near-daily feature for many households. Alongside the tradition and enjoyment, however, comes an important nutritional conversation about nitrites and nitrates — substances commonly used in processed meats and consistently linked with bowel cancer risk.

This is not about fear-mongering or banning Christmas foods. It is about understanding the science, making informed choices, and reducing risk where we realistically can, in line with NHS cancer-prevention advice and NICE principles on long-term disease prevention.