The world of social media was simply not ready to accept the findings of a new WHO report which has categorized sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats as carcinogens that significantly increase the risk of bowel cancer.

Twitter went through all of Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief when faced with the daunting news.
Many were in denial.

The most elaborate one came from the North American Meat Institute, an intimidatingly-named lobbying group.

Plenty of users were angry.

Some tried to bargain.

Then there was depression.

And finally acceptance.

With bacon-death imminent, there was gallows humor.
Plenty saw a wider context.

But many were lost for words, and resorted to simply posting pictures of a treat that may well be banned from the shops at the behest of UN bureaucrats, only to be bought from underground butchers, one strip at a time.

Eating bacon, hot dogs and other processed meats cause cancer –
@WHOhttps:///OFOhC7l4Vkpic.twitter.com/i8wJA5zFS9
— RT (@RT_com) October 26, 2015

The only way bacon will ever kill anyone is if a bartender ever tried to put any in my martini
— Simon Majumdar (@SimonMajumdar)
October 26, 2015

WHO: "Bacon and sausage can cause cancer" ME: "Well how bad can that really be"
— Ian Boudreau (@iboudreau) October 26, 2015

Oh come on! So now #bacon is bad for us? A bacon sandwich is beyond good. This is one food scare that I refuse to be scared of.
— Dr Jez Phillips (@drjezphillips) October 26, 2015

The WHO classified cured meat as a class 1 carcinogen. The North American Meat Institute responds. pic.twitter.com/Nc9B5DvOe9
— Matthew Trumbell (@MTrums) October 26, 2015

Bacon can give you cancer, says WHO.
pic.twitter.com/xL5knsbhad
— Amanda (@Pandamoanimum) October 26, 2015

Oh, bacon. How could you? I gave you so much love and time, and this is how you repay us all??
— James Moran (@jamesmoran) October 26, 2015

Devastating that scientists say bacon causes cancer and we face the fact that we’ll have to give up science.
— paul bassett davies (@thewritertype)
October 26, 2015

What's the point of living in a world where bacon causes cancer?! https:///p3gYqTC3va
— Natalia Antonova (@NataliaAntonova)
October 26, 2015

Me, discovering that I can get cancer from bacon. pic.twitter.com/FNGdaS2gzq
— David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley)
October 26, 2015

If bacon gives you cancer, that's it. Bring on nuclear sodding apocalypse.
— Wings Over S******d (@WingsScotland) October 26, 2015

Wake up, find out WHO has cancelled joy.
#mondays#bacon
— Amy Tennery (@amytennery) October 26, 2015

Agreed. Something's going to kill you. I want mine to be bacon. https:///zajzVzWgSU
— Mark Watson (@watsoncomedian)
October 26, 2015

World Health Organization? More like World HELL Organization for trying to ruin bacon, amirite? (I am not rite, they are good at medicine)
— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) October 26, 2015

If sausage, bacon, and ham can cause cancer, I have no idea how I've made it 22 years without getting cancer.
— Josh Bishop (@joshbishop92) October 26, 2015

no my bacon cigarette startup is doing just fine why do you ask
— Warren Ellis (@warrenellis) October 26, 2015

If bacon is wrong! I don't want to be right
#bacon#shoplocal#loveyourbutcher#leeds