"Our aim. along with every other sensible person in this country, Is to encourage a better balanced diet- We agree wholeheartedly that people should eat more fruit and vegetables, but it is also undeniable that red meat has a very important part to play in making sure people have a balanced diet.

That is why nutritionists and doctors have long recognised that red meat is an important source of many nutrients that the body needs to be healthy - and presumably why the government has campaigned for same groups in society to eat mat: red meat. So the real issue is bad diet not bad food."

Commenting on the specific recommendations made by COMA. Colin Maclean, said:

"Although we share the objective to encourage a balanced diet, it simply isn't true that science supports the case for a link between red meat and colon cancer. In the balance against COMA'S work, you have to put* significant and recent studies carried out across Europe, none of which finds any evidence of a connection between eating red meat and colon cancer. Indeed, there appears to be no difference in colon cancer rates between meat eaters and vegetarians."**

"A common sense look at the statistics would seem to support this view. Red meat consumption in the UK has fallen by 25% over the last 20 years, yet the incidence of colon cancer has increased by 20% over the same period! The argument that it is diet which is important is supported by other European examples such as Greece, where red meat consumption is higher than the UK but the incidence of colon cancer is roughly half. The difference is that the Greeks eat almost 2.5 times as much fruit and vegetables as we do. 

We accept that people who eat a lot of red meat, without balancing that sensibly with fruit and vegetables, ought to look at their diets. But what we cannot accept is that these recommendations might frighten people who should be eating more red meat into eating less when there is no valid scientific basis for it."

"I believe that consumers are sensible. enough to make their own minds up whether they should be eating more red meat or less as part of their own balanced diet. After all. even if you accept a link, which we don't, the figure recommended by COMA is actually above what people are currently eating on average"

 For further information contact:

Press Office. Ol908 844166/160/106 

Notes to Editors: 

* Large European studies of diet and colorectal cancer set out in European Cancer Prevention News, August 1997: Manousos St at (1983), Greece; Tuyns et al (1988), Belgium: Macquart Moufin St al (1987), France; Bonito St al (1980), Majorca; Boutron et al (1991), France; Gaard et a1.. (1996), Norway: Franceschi et al (1997), Italy: HALS Study (1S97), UK.

 ** Philips and Snowdon (1977).

* * * The British Meat Advice Line is available for consumers on 01908 844256