The sales of pre-packaged sausages and bacon in the United Kingdom took a fall in the weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its report that linked processed meats to cancer, labeling them “carcinogenic to humans.”
According to market research firm IRI, total losses for sausages and bacon alone in the two weeks following WHO’s announcement in October are estimated to be approximately $4.5 million. IRI’s figures show sales for pre-packed sausages were down 15.7 percent for the week ending Oct. 31 when compared to the same week the previous year. Pre-packed bacon saw even sharper declines, down 17 percent, despite a 12-week decline of 6.5 percent and 52-week decline of 5.6 percent. The trend continued at a slightly lower rate in week two though other pre-packed meats also saw a decline in sales, down 10 percent overall.