Additive used in bacon and ham is linked to lung cancer, according to new research

A common food additive used to bulk out processed meats could fuel the spread of lung cancer.

Researchers found that high doses of inorganic phosphate salts – used to raise the water content of ham, bacon and chicken – can speed up the growth of tumours.

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The findings, from a study on mice prone to lung cancer, will add to concerns the chemical may be contributing to higher levels of the disease in humans who eat large amounts of processed foods.

The mice were given food containing 0.5 or 1 per cent phosphate – roughly equivalent to the level in human diets. Those on the high additive diet developed tumours more quickly than those on a normal diet, it was reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care.

Dr Myung-Haing Cho, of South Korea’s Seoul National University, which carried out the research, said: ‘Our studies indicate that increased intake of inorganic phosphates may play an important role in lung cancer treatment and suggests that dietary regulation of inorganic phosphates may be critical for lung cancer treatment as well as prevention.’

The scientists believe phosphates increase the growth of tumours by interfering with the chemical signals between cells.