WASHINGTON, DC –The US meat industry has commissioned a report meant to cast doubt on the clear and convincing evidence that diets high in red and processed meat are linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer. Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) said today that the public should view the meat industry’s self-published report for what it is – a public relations effort, not a comprehensive review of the science.

The 96-page “technical summary,” which was commissioned by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), has been put forth as an “answer” to the landmark WCRF/AICR Expert Report. But unlike the Cattlemen’s summary, the WCRF/AICR expert report was a project of immense scope and rigor: During its preparation, initial sweeps of the global scientific literature found half a million relevant studies that were subsequently screened to 22,000. In the end, over 7,000 studies on all aspects of diet and cancer were reviewed by a panel of 21 international experts who judged the evidence and issued a series of recommendations for cancer prevention.

The Cattlemen’s review “contains no evidence, new or old, that challenges our expert report,” said Martin Wiseman, Project Director of the WCRF/AICR expert report. “They reach a different conclusion, but given who paid for it, that’s hardly surprising.”

Meat industry executives and lobbyists have touted their review for over two years but have not shared it with the scientific community, which has made it difficult for cancer experts at WCRF/AICR to comment. Now, finally, the Cattlemen have published the technical summary themselves, and scientists at WCRF and AICR have taken a detailed look.

Cancer Experts: Simply No Comparison

There is simply no comparison, the cancer experts say, between the WCRF/AICR Expert Report - a systematic, transparent, peer-reviewed project that took five years to complete, involved independent teams of investigators across the globe, and was overseen by an international panel of leading experts on cancer and nutrition – and the Cattlemen’s technical summary, which was prepared by a small team with little background in nutrition.

According to the cancer experts, the meat industry’s “technical summary” lacks transparency, a key aspect of scientific review that provides other investigators the means to follow the same methodology and find the same results.

Wiseman and his colleagues at WCRF/AICR were puzzled to note that the much-touted Cattlemen’s report does not describe how the authors conducted their searches of the scientific literature, or detail how they checked their results to ensure that no relevant studies were missed. Neither does the report outline any predefined, objective criteria for judging potential links between meat and cancer. And at no point did the report undergo the process of peer-review, which would have subjected its methods and conclusions to scrutiny from independent experts in the field.

The WCRF/AICR Expert Report, on the other hand, built transparency into every step of its five-year process. Its methodology was freely shared with observers and reviewers from international health organizations as well as the independent research centers that conducted literature searches, and has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. All of the systematic literature reviews consulted by the Expert Panel – and details of the over 7000 individual studies involved in their preparation – are found on a CD included in every copy of the Expert Report.

“The Cattlemen’s cursory review of the science is neither systematic nor comprehensive, and should not be mistaken for the kind of rigorous, objective analysis of the evidence found in the WCRF/AICR Expert Report,” said Wiseman.

Coordinated Attacks Meant to Distract and Confuse

In recent months, various meat industry interests have stepped up their attacks on the WCRF/AICR recommendation to limit meat consumption. AICR Director of Research, Susan Higginbotham, RD, PhD, confesses a certain bemusement at the prospect.

“We might understand the strength of their efforts to discredit our expert report if we were calling for the elimination of meat from American meals, but we’re not,” said Higginbotham. “Our materials are careful to note that moderate amounts of meat have a place in a balanced diet.

“We conducted a rigorous and transparent review of the science; based on that, we recommend limiting red meat intake to 18 ounces (cooked) per week, and saving processed meat like ham and hot dogs for special occasions.”

That, said Higginbotham, is what the science makes clear. And no amount of meat industry PR should be allowed to distract and confuse the public on a matter that is so important for long-term health.

The full WCRF/AICR report is available for download.

Notes to Editors:

Methodology of the WCRF/AICR Expert Report:

WCRF and AICR commissioned the Expert Report. It assembled a task force of experts to lay out an objective, comprehensive and transparent methodology for conducting searches of the scientific literature. WCRF/ACR then engaged research teams from nine universities or research centers to collect the research. It then invited an Expert Panel of 21 world-renowned independent scientists to review that research and draw conclusions.

In the initial sweep, half a million studies were found, which were screened down to 22,000. Eventually, 7,000 were deemed relevant and met the rigorous quality criteria for definitive conclusions to be drawn.

This information was then presented to the Panel, who developed our Recommendations for Cancer Prevention that people can incorporate into their daily lives. UNICEF and the World Health Organization were among the official observers of the report’s process.

Continuous Update Project:

WCRF/AICR’s Continuous Update Project, which is being carried out at Imperial College London, updates the findings of the Expert Report to make sure our advice takes into account the latest published research.

The findings on the links between meat and colorectal cancer are currently being updated and are expected to be published later this year. As we have informed the meat industry, once the update is published WCRF/AICR would be happy to meet with them to discuss the findings.

By The Numbers:

WCRF/AICR Expert Report

Cattlemen’s Technical Summary

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The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $96 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, www.aicr.org. AICR is part of the global network of charities that are dedicated to the prevention of cancer. The WCRF global network is led and unified by WCRF International, a membership association that operates as the umbrella organization for the network. The other charities in the WCRF network are World Cancer Research Fund in the UK (www.wcrf-uk.org); Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds in the Netherlands (www.wcrf-nl.org); World Cancer Research Fund Hong Kong (www.wcrf-hk.org); and Fonds Mondial de Recherche contre le Cancer in France (www.fmrc.fr).