The World Health Organization stated Monday that processed meats such as cold cuts, bacon, and hot dogs raise the risk of stomach and colon cancers. Red meat also carries a high risk factor.

The New York Times reports that the World Health Organization’s announcement is the most comprehensive analysis of the correlation between cancer and meat-eating.

The organization spent decades at their International Agency for Research on Cancer in France, researching the potential health risks of processed meat. The research placed the meats in the same risk category as cigarettes or asbestos. While this does not mean that processed meat is as dangerous as cigarettes, it does mean that both have a confirmed link to cancer.

In America, where many diets limit red meat and avoid processed products when possible, these findings are not too shocking. The American Cancer Society has cautioned against consuming too much red meat for years. Yet, the findings could be damaging to the American meat industry, which has already had to aggressively campaign against its link to cancer, pointing out the disease’s potential to be caused by environment and lifestyle.

In European countries where sausage and ham are staples, public health views may see a dramatic shift in the region. While colon cancer is on the decline in the United States, it is the second most common cancer for women worldwide, and the third most common for men.

The analysis ruled processed meats as carcinogenic to humans, and red meats as “probably carcinogenic”, as it hold some key nutrients, but also has links to colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.

The World Health Organization has made no formal dietary restriction statement, and said that there is not yet enough data to determine how much processed meat is considered dangerous. They did confirm that the risk increases as more is consumed.