I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. Just the cover alone invokes the need to sizzle up some bacon. But I know what lies in the pages of Lucie Morris-Marr’s book will make me re-evaluate every piece of meat I consume. And for good reason.
As a result of this investigative journalist’s detailed and harrowing journey with stage 4 bowel cancer, she has produced a book that lifts the lid on all processed meats, from sourcing the meat, to the manufacture, cooking and eating. Although she lives in Australia, the results would align closely with New Zealand and the amount of processed meats we also consume. It’s a multi-billion dollar business world-wide.
The average Australian meat-eater consumes a massive 17 kilograms of processed pork, beef and other meats every year. Think of that delicious BBQ Meat Lovers pizza, the sausage sizzle at the school fundraiser, the ham sandwich every day for lunch or maybe the grazing platter with the wonderful selection of smoked meats, oh, and don’t forget the delicious Christmas ham. As Morris-Marr says, “processed meats are heavily ingrained in our culture and everyday lives. Let’s face it, they are not easy to give up!”
In 2015 the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer released a report that directly linked processed meats to cancer. It classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans and added it to the Group 1 list of carcinogens beside tobacco, asbestos and radiation. According to the WHO, one hot dog or a couple of rashers of bacon a day will increase your risk of colorectal cancer by 18 per cent. That’s because processed meats contain nitro-preservatives and the deadliest of all is Preservative 250 — sodium nitrite, a chemical ingredient that has been officially classed as a poison.
Morris-Marr through her research, has linked processed meats to more than ten serious illnesses and conditions, some of which can be fatal including obesity, dementia as well as various cancers. There is also overwhelming evidence the plastic our meats are vacuumed packed in, end up in our organs as microplastics.
Morris-Marr goes onto list the different processed meat products to be weary of. She understands “it’s not always easy for parents to feed a family with fresher, more wholesome and healthier choices of meat in this economic climate.”
Ultimately it’s your body and your choice as to what you put in it, but in 2019, a diet high in processed meat was responsible for 34,000 deaths globally. This book is the result of thousands of hours of meticulous research and it packs a powerful punch. I have already reduced my meat consumption by 50%, but after reading this, I’m prepared to cut it further. And I’ll certainly be backing away from all processed meats with Preservative 250 on the ingredient list.
Reviewer: Carole Brungar
Allen & Unwin