NHS hospitals in England serve meat with chemicals feared to cause cancer

Campaigners call for ban of nitrates and nitrites in food production with 61 trusts across country affected

Scores of hospitals are giving patients meat cured with chemicals that scientists and food safety experts increasingly fear may cause cancer.

Sixty-one NHS trusts in England are serving meat in their hospitals that may contain nitrates or nitrites despite growing evidence internationally implicating them in the development of cancer.