In your article (Children risk cancer by eating salami and ham, warns charity, 17 August), John Bullock from BPEX said the study we published in 2007 found there "may be a link between eating processed meat and the risk of cancer, but we need more scientific evidence to tell us definitely whether or not that's the case". This is not the case.
The report, which was the most comprehensive ever published on the links between diet and cancer, found convincing evidence that processed meat is a cause of cancer. Scientists estimate about 10% of bowel cancer cases in the UK could be prevented if everyone ate less than 70g a week. This is why WCRF recommends that people avoid eating it.
When it comes to the relationship between cancer and diet, there are still many areas we do not fully understand. This is not one of them. For more information visit www.dietandcancerreport.org
Dr Rachel Thompson
Science programme manager, World Cancer Research Fund