A petition against nitrites in charcuterie

“Stop added nitrites in our diet”. It’s the title of the petition launched on November 20 by the NGO Foodwatch, the mobile application Yuka and the association league against cancer. Objective: “to ban added nitrites in all food products, i.e. the additives E249 (potassium nitrite), E 250 (sodium nitrite), E251 (sodium nitrate) and E252 (potassium nitrate ) as soon as possible to protect our health.”

The three organizations denounce the consequence of the ingestion of nitrates and nitrites (mainly used in charcuterie to give it its pink color while facilitating its conservation): the formation of nitrosamines in our stomach. In question: “their impact on the appearance of colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cancer after that of the lungs, yet preventable”.

More than 12,000 products sold in France contain nitro additives

In addition, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classifies one of the nitrosamines in category 2A, i.e. “probably carcinogenic to humans”, six in category 2B, “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, and one in category 3, “not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans”.

Yet, in the Press release associated with the petition, Julie Chapon, Yuka’s spokeswoman, indicates that from the database of the mobile application, more than 12,000 products sold in France contain “these controversial nitro additives for health. ”

The possibility of developing “nitrite-free”

“It is the responsibility of the public authorities to reinforce the rules, by prohibiting all additives recognized as dangerous, adds Camille Dorioz, campaign manager at Foodwatch. The food industry is quite capable of doing without nitro additives. ‘Nitrite-free’ is even more and more present on supermarket shelves.”

In reaction, the French Federation of Charcuterie Manufacturers (FICT) stated on November 20 in a communicated that “nitrites are authorized by the regulations and recommended by the scientific community for their major role in the safety of the majority of charcuterie products”. “Today, with fridges and the cold chain, these are things we no longer need”, insisted Emmanuel Ricard, delegate for cancer prevention at the League against Cancer, on Franceinfo.

“We can no longer afford to pretend we don’t know”

“Each year, in France, more than 4,000 new cases of stomach or colon cancer are attributable to the consumption of processed meats, warns Professor Axel Kahn, president of the League against cancer, in the press release related to the petition. The risk factor is identified and the nitro additives have something to do with it; we can no longer afford to act as if we did not know. We must act”. Intended for Agnès Buzyn, the Minister of Health, the petition has already received more than 36,400 signatures.