--- title: "Doctors Warn That Scrumptious Instagram Trend Is Giving You Colon Cancer" description: "Health officials in France are saying that the preservative nitrates often added to processed meat — including charcuterie — are linked to colon cancer." date: "2022-07-13" modified: "2022-07-13" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/doctors-warn-instagram-trend-colon-cancer" categories: - "Cancer" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" tags: - "colon cancer" - "food" - "france" - "meat" --- # Doctors Warn That Scrumptious Instagram Trend Is Giving You Colon Cancer ![Health officials in France are saying that the preservative nitrates often added to processed meat — including charcuterie — are linked to colon cancer.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* If the internet enjoys one thing, it's a delicious and [photo-worthy]() charcuterie board. And thus, it's with tender sorrow that we deliver some heartbreaking news. Health officials in France [claim to have confirmed]() that the preservative nitrates often added to processed meat — a category that includes those delectable cured charcuterie sausages — are linked to colon cancer. Je t'en prie, non! The findings come from Anses, France's regulatory body for food health and safety, and supports a [2015 WHO study]() that placed cured and processed red meats in the [same carcinogenic category]() as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco. According [to the *Guardian*](), the French government was quick to respond the Anses recommendation that we should "deliberately \[limit\] exposure through food consumption," announcing almost immediately thereafter that a plan to diminish the use of nitrates is already in the works. But restricting the harmful additives, which are used to prolong a meat's shelf life, might not be simple. Charcuterie is not only important to a well-curated Instagram feed, but to French culture as well. As the *Guardian* reports, France is one of the world's top producers of the mouthwatering cold cuts, and such a plan could be a major blow to the cherished industry — a fact that French authorities seem extremely mindful of. "It is about limiting their use to the strictly necessary," said a joint statement from the country's health and agricultural ministers, according to the *Guardian*. "The reduction must be done in a balanced way that guarantees food security for the consumer." The Anses declaration did warn that reducing the use of the additives could lead to higher cases of food-related ailments like botulism and salmonella, but also provided solutions for producers of the affected meats: shorten expiration dates, and adjust manufacturing practices accordingly. As far as consumers go, that basically means that charcuterie lovers should avoid letting meats go bad, shop as local as possible, and try to keep things as farm-to-table as possible. While any blow to the charcuterie industry is upsetting, it does look like there's hope for les meat-makers. Charcuterie shall prevail – though based on Anses' findings, you might want to consider grabbing the nitrate-free sausages next time you build a board. **READ MORE:** *[Charcuterie’s link to colon cancer confirmed by French authorities]()* \[*The Guardian*\] **More on food safety:** [*Salting Your Food Can Kill You Faster, Doctors Say*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()