Bacon, sausages and ham rank alongside smoking as cancer causes, says WHO

[Warpy]

101. And curing meat and fish as soon as they discovered how to make fire

It was the only way to preserve meat until refrigeration and freezing came along and that was very recently. Smoking meats produced a coating that was poisonous to bacteria and a deterrent to varmints. Salting the meat dried it out, making it impossible for bacteria colonies to exist within it.

I'll believe cured meats are equivalent to cigarettes when people compulsively eat 40 servings a day, and even then, they'll die of obesity before cancer gets them.

Nitrosamines, produced during the curing process, are bad for you. However, spoiled meat is worse. The key, as always, is eating this food in moderation.

Nitrate free deli meats are becoming more available. The shelf life is shorter so they'll always be more expensive, but they're available to people who live on sandwiches.