BACON, smoked ham and processed sausages are a cancer threat and should be cut from people's diet altogether, according to the world's most comprehensive study of the disease.

The World Cancer Research Fund says the evidence is now strong enough for it to recommend that people stop eating all processed meats, whether they have been smoked, cured, salted or preserved with chemicals.

The report, which looks at thousands of scientific papers and has taken five years to compile, provides an exhaustive guide to trying to reduce your risks of getting cancer.