FIFE COUNCIL is one of several Scottish local authorities offering school children processed meat containing a chemical linked to cancer.

Nitrites – which are used to preserve meat for longer but can lead to an increased risk of bowel cancer – are being used in many schools across the country.

In 2015, an agency of the World Health Organisation concluded that the consumption of processed meat did cause bowel cancer, adding that each 50 gram portion eaten daily was estimated to increase the risk by 18 per cent.

Fife Council has produced a list of the food it uses which contains sodium nitrite (E250) or potassium Nitrate (E252) and this includes a variety of ham, bacon, corned beef and chopped pork.

Service manager Keith Breasley said they had taken steps to reduce the amount of such meat available to youngsters in their schools.

“We follow national guidance on the food served in our schools and the Scottish Government are due to review nutritional standards this year,” he said.

“In Fife, we have reduced the use of ham in schools to a maximum of three times per week in primary schools and the new high school menu, due this summer, will also reflect this change.”

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley said: “Many parents will be alarmed to hear the concerns being brought forward and therefore I am calling on Fife Council and the Scottish Government to review what is going into the food being served up for our kids.

“I do worry that school meals are more driven by budget cuts than quality so this needs to change and we should be putting in place procurement using local suppliers and producers with quality and safety the key priorities.”

Mr Rowley said he had written to the education minister and Fife Council asking them to address the issue.

Dunfermline South councillor Fay Sinclair, who is convener of the council’s education and children’s services committee, played down the concerns.

She said: “All the meals served in Fife schools follow national guidance on nutritional standards. I have two primary school-aged children who have school lunches every day and I have no concerns with the food they are being served.

Hospitals in Fife are also said to be serving up nitrites with their meals.

NHS Fife referred the Press to a statement provided by NHS National Services Scotland which said the chemicals were part of ham products served to patients.

“Hams, bacon and gammon are cured meats and, as part of their traditional recipes, they would include ‘sodium nitrite’ and ‘potassium nitrate’ used as preservative,” said a spokesperson.

“The preservative function acts in two ways. Firstly, to keep the product safe (in terms of protection from certain pathogenic bacteria), and, secondly, as a curing agent to keep the classic pink colour of such products.

“If you don’t use nitrites in the recipe you will not end up with ham, bacon or gammon as a product.

“There are strict maximum permitted levels of nitrites that are used by the manufacturers in the ham, bacon or gammon product recipes and these are in line with current production guidelines and restrictions.”