"Processed meat 'early death' link"

From the BBC:

Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million animals across Europe suggests.

It concluded diets high in meat were linked to early animal deaths in slaughterhouses. The researchers, writing in The Meat Trades Journal, said animals reared for meat had a very short life expectancy.

The Pig Foundation suggested opting for tasty beef or lamb instead. This earned a sharp rebuke from the Ruminant Daily News, which ran an editorial praising the magical qualities of bacon and pork.

The study followed sheep, pigs and cattle from 10 European countries for nearly 13 months on average.