You can think of the quality of cold cuts as being on a spectrum: Whole/fresh pieces of good quality cooked meat would be on one side (say a whole pig roast for example, that is then sliced), while very processed bologna types of meats would be on the other.
Most of the common cold cuts that people buy in delis or at supermarkets – even the kind that seems to be of good quality because they are advertised as “natural,” “low fat,” and “heart healthy” – usually fall somewhere in the middle.Because nearly all cold cuts are at least moderately processed, here is why they are likely not as healthy as you’d expect.
How Are Cold Cuts Made?
Fillers, preservatives, and nitrates are often added to cut costs, prolong freshness, ward off bacteria growth, and make the meat look/smell/taste more appetizing.
Often times the process starts with excess meat being removed from the bones of animals and ground together (that’s right, your turkey cold cuts may have actually come from 10+ different turkeys).
Once ground, they are emulsified into a soft cake-like batter where flavors, additives, colors, and binders are added so that they can be formed into a mold (you know, those square-ish blocks of meat you see sitting behind the deli counters).
Some cold cuts are even worse than this (think of the slimy kinds that come in vacuumed bags and somehow last for months in your refrigerator). Poor quality cold cuts go through a process like the one mentioned above, but are taken a step further by being further processed.
They are blended into a paste, vacuumed to remove excess air and protect from bacterial growth, emulsified, combined with preservatives/sugars to begin a fermentation process, cased into a mold, and then pre-sliced to be sold in supermarkets to people like you. Sounds yummy.
Cold cuts can typically contain up to 25 different kinds of chemical additives. Here are a few examples of common ones:
Corn Syrup issugar that is used as a flavoring agent and sweetener in meat/poultry products. High intake is linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Gelatin is a thickener derived from the skin, tendons, ligaments, or bones of livestock.
Bromelin is an enzyme that softens meat/poultry tissue. It is used as a meat tenderizer.
Modified Food Starch is starch that has been chemically altered to improve its thickening properties. High exposure is linked with skin rashes, nausea, migraine headaches, heart irregularities (similarly to MSG below).
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that many experts believe is somewhat addictive and causes side effects like headaches, rapid heartbeats, chest pain, nausea, and weakness.
Sodium Nitrite is blocks the growth of certain bacteria and prevents spoilage. Nitrites give cured meats their characteristic color and flavor, so you will be hard-pressed to find companies that don’t use them. High exposure to nitrates is linked to increased cancer risks. Pregnant women are warned to stay away from nitrates (and cold cuts) all together.
Emulsifier prevents separation to ensure consistency. Examples of these types of additives include lecithin, and mono- and di-glycerides.
So What Should I Do About It?
Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you want to continue eating cold cuts:
Buy Fresh Sliced Meat Instead
Find a place that cooks whole pieces of quality meat (good quality chicken breasts or legs for example), and use slices of this on sandwiches instead. This will help you avoid high levels of added sodium (just 4 slices of a typical cold cut is about 1152mg of sodium, which is just under half your daily recommended amount, and people typically use much more than this). It will also help you to avoid the additives/chemicals/preservatives mentioned above, as well as added sugar and carbs that are used to give flavor and texture to otherwise very low quality and therefore bad tasting meat.
Always Look for Organic and Natural Options
Look for labels indicating that your meat is organic, vegetarian fed/grass-fed, has no growth hormones and no antibiotics – this is important. Brands that label their products as “natural” are usually a better bet because they tend to use fewer preservatives and fillers; however, “natural” can really mean anything and is not a regulated term by the USDA. From what I can tell, Boars Head “Natural” line does seem to be a decent option (relatively speaking) because they do leave out a lot of common fillers and additives. However, “natural” does not mean organic.
Even if an ingredient label only lists a few things – for example, “turkey, salt, sugar” – and calls itself natural, you still do not know the quality of the turkey being used. It’s very common for big brands to use meat that came from factory farms (large industrial operations that raise large numbers of animals for food).
Over 99% of farm animals in the U.S. are now raised on factory farms, which focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of quality, cleanliness, the animals’ welfare, and being ethical. This is how big meat suppliers and cold cut companies cut costs.
Factory farms almost always give the animals antibiotics and hormones in order to make them grow faster and not die from diseases in the process. The only way to ensure you avoid consuming animal meat like this that contains antibiotics and hormones is to buy certified organic cuts of meat.
Think Outside of the Cold Cut Box
Try having other types of sandwiches instead, maybe even some vegetarian options. It’s always a safer bet to bring your own lunch whenever possible, but if you really don’t want to do that, you can find options beyond cold cuts at nearly any deli. Consider trying some of these sandwiches, which have ingredients that are ultimately much more transparent than cold cuts:
- hummus and roasted veggies on good whole grain bread
- quality seafood salads like salmon/vegetable tuna salad that are light on the mayo
- black beans, rice, and vegetables stuffed into a wrap
- good quality (preferably organic) mozzarella cheese with tomatoes and basil
- marinated tofu wraps with an Asian dressing and veggies
- Greek salad wraps with good feta cheese
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