An advocacy group last week sued the Los Angeles school district for serving hot dogs and other processed meats to students, arguing that they increase the risk of cancer.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, along with a teacher and parents, asked the court to ban the district from offering processed meats, citing a “recognized association between eating processed meats ... and developing cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.” It seeks the same ban for the Poway district in San Diego County.
The Los Angeles district’s lunch menu for April lists several processed meat items, including a “turkey pastrami croissandwich with cheese” and a turkey hot dog. Breakfasts can include beef sausage or turkey chorizo.
