Should we have warning labels on bacon and other processed meats which have been declared to be carcinogenic for humans by scientists.

Vegetarian-only days at army camps, schools and hospitals could help boost Kiwis' awareness of the cancer risk of red meat, say academics.

Those bacon burgers we love so much can cause cancer but many Kiwis remain blissfully unaware of the risk, health economists say.

More than a year after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared processed meat as cancer-causing New Zealand public health economists say it is time to consider how to reduce consumption.

FAIRFAX NZ Is our love affair with bacon burgers reducing our life span? Public health economists have suggested warning labels for processed meat in a bid to reduce cancer and related health costs.

According to the agency two rashers of bacon a day increases risk of bowel cancer by 18 per cent.

New Zealanders eat between 24g and 56g of processed meat a day according to the most recent New Zealand adult nutrition survey.

Rates of bowel cancer in New Zealand are among the highest in the world, with more than 100 people dying from the disease every month.

The estimated cost of treating bowel cancer in New Zealand is $130 million per year, or $43,000 per case.

Otago University public health economists Dr Nick Wilson and Dr Christine Cleghorn say a range of cost-effective measures could improve health outcomes and reduce the cost burden of cancer significantly in a New Zealand Medical Journal article published on Friday.

Suggestions for reducing consumption include a greenhouse gas emissions tax on red meat producers, warning labels on processed meat and vegetarian-only days at schools, hospitals and army camps.

"If [the government] did want to improve health and reduce health costs and do things to improve these other things like greenhouse gases then this is an area where we are giving information and they could act," Wilson said.

Warning labels on processed meat would enable consumers to make informed decisions.

"You could argue it's partly a consumer rights issue – if the world's key science bodies are saying that processed meat causes colorectal cancer then maybe consumers have a right to know."

Wilson said governments had addressed the same issue with tobacco with warning labels "so consumers know their risk and could make an informed decision".

Evidence for the risk of cancer from red meat was less conclusive than for processed meat, but still strong, Wilson said.

The IARC classified red meat as "probably carcinogenic" to humans, based on limited evidence it causes colorectal cancer and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

"When IARC declares something a carcinogen it is at a very high level of certainty, so it's at a level which you could reasonably put warning labels on things - for processed meat," Wilson said.

In regards to your question about warning labels on processed meat, Beef + Lamb New Zealand is responsible for the domestic marketing of unprocessed red meat. As such, I have sourced a quote from Antoinette Bisset of the Meat Processors Association:

Meat Processors Association spokeswoman Antoinette Bisset said the IARC evaluation indicated probability of risk based on the level of exposure, or the amount eaten.

"Without taking into account the total dietary pattern of an individual or the other foods eaten alongside, a health warning label front-of-pack is not suitable."

Beef and Lamb New Zealand nutrition manager Emily Parks said there was no reason why lean red meat cannot be included in a healthy diet.

"The significant benefits of including healthy portions of lean red meat include being better able to meet iron, zinc and vitamin B12 requirements, as well as increasing intake of essential nutrients such as selenium and other B vitamins, and bioactive substances including taurine, carnitine and glutathione."