Dewey-Rehoboth Bacon Fest to return April 26-28

When bacon artisans and aficiandos return to the beach for the annual Dewey-Rehoboth Bacon Fest April 26-28, doctors from a regional association will also attend - in protest.

The festival, which runs Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, features samples of tasty bacon creations from more than 20 Dewey and Rehoboth restaurants, according to iDewey’s website, where VIP, general admission and guest passes can be purchased.

However, Dr. Kerry Foley of Dewey Beach and Washington, D.C., will lead a protest from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at the corner of Dagsworthy Avenue and Coastal Highway to raise awareness of the health consequences of eating bacon.

“Your colon does not love the Dewey Beach Bacon Fest,” Foley said. “The bacon festival should be offering customers a free colorectal cancer screening with every purchase of cancer-causing bacon.”

Foley is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit with 12,000 doctor members. The group cites a new University of Oxford study that concluded just one slice of bacon a day can increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 20 percent.

The physicians group states that bacon has been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization, and the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research have also found “the evidence on processed meat and cancer is clear-cut.”

Both the American Medical Association and the American College of Cardiology have recommended that hospitals remove processed meat from menus, the group stated.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research and medical training.

For information and to buy tickets to the Dewey-Rehoboth Bacon Fest, go to www.iDewey.com.