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For sausages and bacon and similar cured red meat, the issue is that processing often involves nitrites, which create carcinogenic compounds and are associated with colon cancer specifically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curing_(food_preservation)#Nit...

Still, the added risk is not massive and unless you eat bacon and sausage every day, there are probably other and more important carcinogenic factors in your life that you need to care more about. The calories and saturated fats in most cured red meats are more likely to adversely affect your health.

I think the key is how much the "expected" recipes can be stretched while the food can still be called <whatever> i.e. how many additives & preservatives you can mix in and still call it a sausage.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/07/are-sau...