SUYA AND KILISHI CONSUMPTION CAN LEAD TO CANCER SAYS WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed how consumers of Nigeria’s most popular barbeque, Suya and Kilishi, are prone to cancer.


According to the report, a study recently showed connections between red meat and cancer. The WHO also asserted that making red meats cook at a very high temperature creates carcinogenic chemicals. About 50g of processed meat a day increases the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.



Processed meat are meats  that “have been modified to increase its shelf-life or alter its taste – such as by smoking, curing or adding salt or preservatives”. The later part of the definition brings one to the mention of Suya, which is red meat that goes through severe heat and then seasoned with salt, pepper and groundnut powder. Kilishi is the dryer version of Suya.

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” Kurt Straif from the WHO said.

Deaths resulting from the consumption of processed meats related to cancer are estimated at 34,000 yearly.

A professor from the Cancer Research UK and the University of Oxford, Tim Key, said: “This decision doesn’t mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat, but if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down.”

The Meat Advisory Panel added: “Eating a bacon bap every once in a while isn’t going to do much harm – having a healthy diet is all about moderation. Avoiding red meat in the diet is not a protective strategy against cancer. The focus should be alcohol, smoking and body weight.”