Processed meats have been deemed unhealthy. They have been associated to diseases such as cancer and heart disease in many studies. There is no question that processed meat carries many harmful chemicals that are not normally present in fresh meat. This article examines in detail the health effects of processed meat.
What is it?
Processed meat is meat that has been conserved through salting, drying, smoking, curing or canning.
Food products classified as processed meat include:
- Bacon, ham.
- Sausages, hotdogs, salami.
- Salted and cured meat, corned beef.
- Dried meat, beef jerky.
- Smoked meat.
- Canned meat.
In addition, meat that has been frozen or subjected to a mechanical process such as slicing and cutting is also considered unprocessed.
Conclusion: All meat that has been salted, smoked, dried, cured or canned is considered processed. This includes hotdogs, sausages, bacon, ham and salami.
