Doctors Group Files Legal Petition Urging USDA to Require Colorectal Cancer Warning Labels on Processed Meat

WASHINGTON, D.C. — To help protect Americans from colorectal cancer, which is now the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a legal petition today urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to require warning labels on processed meat and poultry products, such as bacon, deli meat, and hot dogs, which have been classified as “carcinogenic to humans” because of their link to colorectal cancer.

“As colorectal cancer rates continue to surge in younger people, the USDA must warn consumers that the bacon, deli meat, hot dogs, and other processed meats they are putting on their plates are putting them at risk for cancer,” says Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES, nutrition education specialist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2026, there will be more than 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 55,230 deaths from colorectal cancer.

The petition cites both the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, which direct the USDA to inspect all meat and poultry. Meat and poultry products that pass inspection are labeled as wholesome and fit for consumers to eat. Adulterated meat and poultry products—which the USDA defines, in part, as “unhealthful” or “unwholesome”—are supposed to be condemned, yet processed meat and poultry products regularly pass inspection and are labeled as fit, despite their link to colorectal cancer.

“Labels should disclose to consumers that USDA has not, and cannot, guarantee that processed meat or poultry products are ‘wholesome’ because they have been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Such labels are urgently needed,” argues the petition.

To correct the problem, the petition says the USDA should amend the mandatory label on processed meat and poultry products to include the following sentence: “This product might increase the risk of colorectal cancer.”

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization, classified processed meat as “‘carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer” after 22 experts from 10 countries assessed more than 800 epidemiological studies. The experts highlighted a meta-analysis that concluded that each 50-gram portion of processed meat (about one hot dog) eaten daily increases the relative risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

An American Cancer Society study published in JAMA earlier this year found that colorectal cancer mortality is now the leading cause of cancer death for people under 50. Research published in Nutrition and Cancer found that those under the age of 50 who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer were more likely to consume higher amounts of processed meat.

Despite the abundance of research linking processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer risk, a recent Physicians Committee/Morning Consult poll found that nearly half of Americans are not aware that eating processed meat may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, and 64% support a cancer risk warning label on processed meat and poultry products.

“Instead of processed meats, Americans should be filling their plates with more fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, which have been shown to help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer,” says Dr. Herby.