Ham sold in UK found to contain carcinogens 10 years after WHO warning

Wiltshire ham sold by Tesco contained the most nitrites – almost 33 milligrams per kilogram. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock

Ham and bacon sold by supermarkets including Tesco, and Marks and Spencer still contain cancer-causing chemicals almost 10 years after the World Health Organization warned about the dangers of their use in processed meats.

Wiltshire ham is the product with the highest concentrations of nitrites, according to analysis that compared it to cooked ham and unsmoked bacon.