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Background: Processed meat intake has been associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. We have shown that cured meat promotes carcinogen-induced preneoplastic lesions and increases specific biomarkers in the colon of rats., Objectives: We investigated whether cured meat modulates biomarkers of cancer risk in human volunteers and whether specific agents can suppress cured meat-induced preneoplastic lesions in rats and associated biomarkers in rats and humans., Design: Six additives (calcium carbonate, inulin, rutin, carnosol, α-tocopherol, and trisodium pyrophosphate) were added to cured meat given to groups of rats for 14 d, and fecal biomarkers were measured. On the basis of these results, calcium and tocopherol were kept for the following additional experiments: cured meat, with or without calcium or tocopherol, was given to dimethylhydrazine-initiated rats (47% meat diet for 100 d) and to human volunteers in a crossover study (180 g/d for 4 d). Rat colons were scored for mucin-depleted foci, putative precancer lesions. Biomarkers of nitrosation, lipoperoxidation, and cytotoxicity were measured in the urine and feces of rats and volunteers., Results: Cured meat increased nitroso compounds and lipoperoxidation in human stools (both P < 0.05). Calcium normalized both biomarkers in rats and human feces, whereas tocopherol only decreased nitro compounds in rats and lipoperoxidation in feces of volunteers (all P < 0.05). Last, calcium and tocopherol reduced the number of mucin-depleted foci per colon in rats compared with nonsupplemented cured meat (P = 0.01)., Conclusion: Data suggest that the addition of calcium carbonate to the diet or α-tocopherol to cured meat may reduce colorectal cancer risk associated with cured-meat intake. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00994526.

A histological and ultrastructural study was conducted to characterize changes in the muscle fibre structure of three fresh sausage preparations, depending on meat composition, sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium lactate (K-lactate) contents. After addition of 0.8% and 1.6% NaCl, 65% and 51%, respectively, of the area observed showed well preserved fibres (histological data). The altered regions presented a large disorganization of the myofilaments and a solubilization of the sarcolemma and of the Z lines. K-lactate addition had no marked effects on meat structure. The preparation containing some sheep meat was more sensitive to salt than the others containing only bovine meat. The level of alteration was much lower than those obtained in pork meat in another study. Technological conditions used to modify the internal muscle fibre structure during sausage processing depend on the species used. Therefore, the classification of the sausage preparation to "meat preparation" or "meat product" under the EU regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 (which assign meat preparations to meat if the product has undergone a process insufficient to modify the internal muscle fibre structure of the meat) must be systematically controlled when changing the meat sausage composition.