The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that advocates for a plant-based diet, has sued the state of California for not including processed meat as a known carcinogen.
Proposition 65 requires substances known to cause cancer to be listed.
“It’s a clear-cut case. California has been violating the law for nearly five years by failing to add processed meat to the Proposition 65 list,” says Mark Kennedy, vice president of legal affairs for the Physicians Committee.
“It’s time for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to stop dragging its feet.” The suit claims processed meat, such as hot dogs, bacon, and deli meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer, and a serving of 1.5 oz a day increases the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and overall cancer mortality.
