Processed Meat: What to Know Before You Buy - Ask a Nutritionist

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Transcript

Amy: Welcome to “Ask a Nutritionist”, our weekly mini episode of Dishing Up Nutrition. I am Amy Crum, a Registered Dietitian with Nutritional Weight & Wellness, and today we're talking about a food that shows up in refrigerators, lunchboxes, breakfast plates, charcuterie boards, in barbecues all the time: processed meat.

And there's a lot of media attention surrounding these foods. You may have heard that processed meat causes cancer. You may also have seen labels advertising meat as nitrate-free, uncured, or no nitrates added, and wondered if those products are actually healthier. From a dietitian's standpoint, we don't just ask, "Is this food good or bad?"

We ask a few bigger questions. What is this food doing in the context of the whole diet? How processed is it? What ingredients were added? How often are we eating it? And what could we eat instead? So today, we'll answer some important questions. Does processed meat cause cancer? How much is too much? Are nitrate-free meats better? Why are nitrates added in the first place? And can you include processed meats as part of a healthy diet?

Does processed meat cause cancer?

So let's start with the commonly asked question: Does processed meat cause cancer? According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or the IARC, which is part of the World Health Organization, there is sufficient evidence that eating heavily processed meats can cause cancer in humans.

The strongest evidence involves colorectal cancer or cancer of the colon and rectum. But there's an important distinction here. Cancer risk is influenced by many factors, including genetics, overall diet, physical activity, body weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, and other environmental and lifestyle factors.

The relationship between ultra-processed meat and cancer is also dose-related. In general, higher consumption is associated with higher risk. In the studies evaluated by the IARC, an analysis of ten of those studies estimated that eating fifty grams of processed meat every day was associated with about an eighteen percent increase in relative risk of colorectal cancer.

And fifty grams is not an enormous amount. Depending on the product, that's roughly a couple of slices of bacon or a small serving of processed meat. The message is that regularly eating heavily processed meat, particularly in large amounts, is associated with an increased risk of cancer. You also have to keep in mind that nutrition studies are difficult because those who eat a lot of processed meats may also be eating a lot more ultra-processed foods in their diet in general and practicing other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

For example, are they eating the hot dog bun and a soda with their bratwurst, or pancake syrup and juice with their bacon or breakfast sausage? So just keep this in mind that it's very hard to do a completely controlled study when it comes to tracking people's diets and correlated health outcomes.

What is a processed meat? (& what to look for & avoid)

So what exactly are we talking about when we say a processed meat? According to the WHO, processed meat is meat that has been transformed through processes such as salting, curing, fermentation, or smoking, generally to improve flavor or preservation.

So some examples are bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, salami, pepperoni, corned beef, beef jerky, lunch meats, and canned meat products. So which ones are okay and which ones should you avoid? The best option for animal protein is going to be more fresh sources, like fish, eggs, poultry, seafood, and high-quality dairy products.

However, we know it's not realistic to be able to cook proteins fresh from scratch for all your meals. The good news is that nowadays there are good quality brands of processed meats, like deli meat and sausages, that are less processed and don't add many preservatives compared to the more ultra-processed meats.

What you can look for is no added nitrates or nitrites on the label. We always encourage you to look at the back of the food product instead of just the marketing on the front. The ingredients in a processed meat like chicken sausage, for example, should be mostly chicken, salt, and spices.

Same goes for deli meats. Some products marketed as uncured or no nitrates added use natural sources of nitrate such as celery powder. Celery is naturally high in nitrate, which when eaten raw is not harmful, and it can actually be beneficial for your health. But during processing, nitrate can be converted into nitrite, which performs many of the same functions as conventional curing agents.

USDA materials specifically explain that products using natural sources such as celery powder may be labeled uncured and carry a statement indicating that naturally occurring nitrates or nitrites are present. So uncured does not necessarily mean free of nitrates, and natural on the label doesn't mean it's necessarily the best choice.

It's safest to always look at the ingredients to check for nitrates. That being said, we are always thinking in terms of good, better, and best. Having processed meat with more natural forms of nitrates like celery powder is not something I would be too concerned about. We may just not want to rely on these foods for the majority of our protein sources.

And the good news is that high-quality brands with minimal additives can be found in most major grocery stores these days.

Why are nitrates & nitrites used in processed meat?

So why are nitrates and nitrites used in processed meat in the first place? They have some important technological and food safety functions. They help with preservation, contribute to that characteristic flavor and color of cured meats, and help inhibit dangerous bacteria.

They also have antioxidant functions that help protect the product. So they're part of the traditional curing process and have important food safety functions. The concern is that compounds associated with heavily processed meat consumption, including compounds that can form during processing and digestion, may contribute to cancer development.

That's one reason researchers have investigated processed meat and cancer risk for decades So this isn't as simple as nitrates are poison or nitrates are completely harmless. The chemistry and biology are more complicated than that. I also want to note that there aren't human studies that show eating nitrate-free or uncured processed meat lowers your risk of cancer compared to conventional processed meats, and that's why I don't want you to look at one ingredient in isolation.

Instead, look at the whole product. How often are you eating it? How much are you eating? And what does the overall ingredient list look like? Look out for curing ingredients such as sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.

More on what to look for

So now let's say you want to include deli meat or sausages as a quick and easy protein source for your busy week. What should you buy? Fresh meat is always best, and it's great to think about having quick protein sources you can have on hand, like chicken breast that was cooked in the slow cooker or Instant Pot and portioned out in the freezer, or ground beef that you've cooked a batch of ahead and can add to a meal, or our turkey sausage on weightandwellness.com.

But for times when you don't have that, sometimes a ready-to-eat, minimally processed meat can be a convenient way to get protein in. If you're choosing deli meat, I would look for chicken or turkey instead of something more processed like bologna, salami, or pepperoni, and a relatively simple ingredient list like meat, salt, and spices, and maybe a collagen wrapping in the case of sausage.

This doesn't mean that every ingredient you can't pronounce is dangerous, but a shorter, straightforward ingredient list can make it easier to understand what you're buying.

Canned meat: another quick protein option

Another option to look at for quick protein options is canned meat. We had an episode that aired on October first all about canned meats, so I would recommend giving that a listen as well. Not all canned meat products are healthy options, but essentially canned meat that uses real animal protein like salmon, chicken, sardines, or tuna are generally safe, convenient protein options.

As long as the ingredient list is mostly the main ingredient plus some salt, it can be another good option for a quick protein source. As dietitians, we look at the big picture of your overall dietary pattern. Are most of your meals built around minimally processed real foods? Are you getting enough fiber? Are you eating a variety of plants? Are you choosing healthy, natural fats? Are you getting adequate protein from quality animal sources?

And are you choosing minimally processed meats when needing the convenience of not cooking from scratch? Those questions are much more meaningful than obsessing over one ingredient on one package. What we don't want to happen is for you to hear, "Don't eat processed meat," and suddenly lunch becomes crackers and cheese because you're afraid of deli turkey. We don't want to skimp on protein, and minimally processed meat like quality deli meats and sausages can absolutely be a part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Recap

So let's put this all together. From an evidence-based nutrition perspective, there's a reason to limit a high consumption of ultra-processed meats. However, there are lots of good quality, less processed meat options like deli meats without nitrates added, chicken sausages, or meat sticks.

And most importantly, consider what you're eating as an overall dietary pattern. If higher quality processed meat is included in your diet, surrounded by a diet rich in other high-quality animal proteins, fiber from real food carbohydrates, healthy fats, and overall minimally processed foods, that's a very different pattern from eating heavily processed meat multiple times every day.

That's where the bigger health opportunity lies. Thanks so much for listening to this week's “Ask a Nutritionist”, and I will talk to you next time.