11/21/07 Beef and cancer report

The trouble with research reports is the initial perception people receive. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back with an example. The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research has just come out with a report that has the meat industry a little skeptical. The report suggests limiting intake of red meat and avoiding processed meat as one of ten recommendations to reduce cancer risk. Red meat is defined as beef, pork, lamb and goat, while processed meat consists of bacon, ham, sausage and lunchmeat. I think many people are like I am and are interested enough to read a little of a report like this but feel reading a whole report borders on being totally boring. Well that might have some people thinking eliminating red meat equates to good health. Although I don't believe red meat should be targeted as a food group linked to cancer, the report does say the recommendations are not for diets containing no meat and meat is a valuable source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B-12, but how many people will read this far. The American Meat Institute questions why the 2004 Harvard School of Public Health analysis concluding red meat and processed meat were not associated with colon cancer was not included in the WCRF report. In fact the federally funded study involving 725,000 men and women was never published in its entirety  some lawmakers wonder why? Could there be an anti-meat bias? I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 11/7/07