Man accuses girlfriend of assault by bacon

A man in North Carolina reported his girlfriend to police after she slapped him around the face with a package of bacon, local media said. The alleged incident took place on Sunday at an apartment the couple shared in the city of Goldsboro.

A police report seen by WTVD said that the man had told authorities the couple was arguing when his girlfriend took a package of uncooked bacon and struck him in the face. It's not known whether police have taken on the meaty case, but reports on Monday (16 October) said they had yet to file charges.

Goldsboro Police department covers a population of around 36,000 in 28 square miles. The department says that the average number of calls they take is 53,884 – it's not known how many are similarly bacon related.

For those happily munching on a sarnie while they read, other bacon related news might be much more startling. According to reports in August, the UK's decision to leave the European Union is expected to push up the price of pork for British consumers.

High international demand for bacon plus the low exchange rate for the pound mean that the products are more desirable to export, while the low currency rate makes it more expensive for UK distributors to import bacon from elsewhere.

If that wasn't enough to put you off your breakfast, a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation found that processed meats, including types of bacon, increase the risk of cancer. The IARC said that there was "significant evidence" processed meats cause colorectal cancer - and eating more increases the risk.

"For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed," said Dr Kurt Straif of the IARC.