Eat less red meat, says Government

Government advisers will publish a report recommending people limit their consumption of red meat.

Experts from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition are expected to tell consumers today to eat no more than 500g of red or processed meat every week, or 70g a day. This is the equivalent of three rashers of bacon a day. An average slice of ham is about 23g, a large sausage is 40g and a medium steak is about 145g.

Red meat contains substances that have been linked to bowel cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund estimated 3,800 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented each year if everyone ate less than 70g of processed meat a week.