Dietary intake of different types and characteristics of processed meat which might be associated with cancer risk--results from the 24-hour diet recalls in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
OBJECTIVE
There is increasing evidence for a significant effect of processed meat (PM) intake on cancer risk. However, refined knowledge on how components of this heterogeneous food group are associated with cancer risk is still missing. Here, actual data on the intake of PM subcategories is given; within a food-based approach we considered preservation methods, cooking methods and nutrient content for stratification, in order to address most of the aetiologically relevant hypotheses.


METHODS
Standardised computerised 24-hour diet recall interviews were collected within the framework of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a prospective cohort study in 27 centres across 10 European countries.


METHODS
Subjects were 22,924 women and 13,031 men aged 35-74 years.


RESULTS
Except for the so-called 'health-conscious' cohort in the UK, energy-adjusted total PM intake ranged between 11.1 and 47.9 g day(-1) in women and 18.8 and 88.5 g day(-1) in men. Ham, salami-type sausages and heated sausages contributed most to the overall PM intake. The intake of cured (addition of nitrate/nitrite) PM was highest in the German, Dutch and northern European EPIC centres, with up to 68.8 g day(-1) in men. The same was true for smoked PM (up to 51.8 g day(-1)). However, due to the different manufacturing practice, the highest average intake of NaNO2 through PM consumption was found for the Spanish centres (5.4 mg day(-1) in men) as compared with German and British centres. Spanish centres also showed the highest intake of NaCl-rich types of PM; most cholesterol- and iron-rich PM was consumed in central and northern European centres. Possibly hazardous cooking methods were more often used for PM preparation in central and northern European centres.


CONCLUSIONS
We applied a food-based categorisation of PM that addresses aetiologically relevant mechanisms for cancer development and found distinct differences in dietary intake of these categories of PM across European cohorts. This predisposes EPIC to further investigate the role of PM in cancer aetiology.
Linseisen
Jakob
J
German Cancer Research Centre, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. j.linseisen@dkfz-heidelberg.de
Rohrmann
Sabine
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Norat
Teresa
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Gonzalez
Carlos A
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Dorronsoro Iraeta
Miren
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Morote Gómez
Patrocinio
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Chirlaque
Maria-Dolores
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Pozo
Basilio G
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Ardanaz
Eva
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Mattisson
Irene
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Pettersson
Ulrika
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Palmqvist
Richard
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Van Guelpen
Bethany
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Bingham
Sheila A
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McTaggart
Alison
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Spencer
Elizabeth A
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Overvad
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Tjønneland
Anne
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Connie
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Clavel-Chapelon
Françoise
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Kesse
Emmanuelle
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Boeing
Heiner
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Klipstein-Grobusch
Kerstin
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Trichopoulou
Antonia
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Vasilopoulou
Effie
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Bellos
George
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Pala
Valeria
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Masala
Giovanna
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Tumino
Rosario
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Sacerdote
Carlotta
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Del Pezzo
Mariarosaria
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Bueno-de-Mesquita
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Peeters
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Skeie
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003201:Computers; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008461:Meat Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors