The World Cancer Research Fund is advising people to limit their intake of beef, pork and lamb and to stay away from processed meat such as ham and salami.

WCRF scientists at Imperial College London studied 263 research papers looking at the role of diet, weight and physical activity in bowel cancer.An independent panel confirmed that there is ”convincing evidence” that both red and processed meat increase bowel cancer risk, said the WCRF report, published yesterday. ”WCRF recommends that people limit consumption to 500 grams of red meat a week, and avoid processed meat.”

The 850-page report is ”the most authoritative ever” on bowel cancer risk, experts claim. About 13,500 people develop bowel cancer in Australia each year and about 4000 die from it. It is the third most common cancer. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Ireland, after lung cancer.

The chief executive of the Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Olver, said about 43 per cent of cases could be prevented if people ate less meat and more fibre, drank less, maintained healthy weight and kept active.