London: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday announced that processed meats - such as bacon, sausages and ham - do cause cancer, the media reported.

According to an official statement, the WHO said 50g of processed meat a day - less than two slices of bacon - increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18 percent, BBC reported.

It said red meats were "probably carcinogenic" but there was limited evidence.

Processed meat is meat that has been modified to increase its shelf life or alter its taste - such as by smoking, curing or adding salt or preservatives.

It is these additions which could be increasing the risk of cancer.

"For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed," Kurt Straif from the WHO said.