Ham sandwiches are given to thousands of children every day in packed
lunches.
Many parents regard them as a healthy option. Now, however, parents
are being urged not to put the sandwiches in their children's lunch
boxes - because of the cancer risk.
Ham, bacon and other types of processed meat raise the risk of bowel cancer over a lifetime, according to a cancer charity.
Giving sandwich fillers such as ham and salami to children means they get into habits that increase their risk of developing cancer later in life, it claims.
Healthier alternatives are fish, low-fat cheese, houmous, or small amounts of unprocessed, lean meat such as chicken.
Scientists estimate that in the UK about 3,700 bowel cancer cases could be prevented if everyone ate less than 70grams of processed meat a week, which is roughly the equivalent of three rashers of bacon.
