LS from Richmond, Virginia writes: “I know that processed lunch meat is not a good choice. Is freshly sliced meat bought in the deli section of the store a better choice, or does that have a lot of the same additives as packaged lunch meat? Thank you!”

Dear LS: It depends on what type of freshly sliced meat you choose. Items like roast beef, cooked turkey and chicken that are sliced and wrapped for you at the deli counter are usually less processed than, say, bologna, salami or pastrami.

What is processed meat? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as any meat that has been preserved or changed by salting, curing, fermentation or smoking. Think ham, bacon, sausage and hot dogs.

I have a slightly different definition of processed meat: If it stays in your refrigerator for more than two to three days without going bad, it’s probably processed.

Why is packaged lunch meat not always the best choice? Studies have shown that higher intakes of processed meats are associated with detrimental health outcomes, including certain types of cancer.

So what is a “higher intake of processed meat?” According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, if you eat processed meat frequently (compared to those who don’t) your risk for colorectal cancer increases by 16% for every 50g (1 hot dog, 2 slices of ham or 3 slices of bacon) that you eat each day. That’s why their recommendation is to “consume very little, if any, processed meat.”

Of course, most all foods are processed to some degree. In general, the more a food is changed from its original form (which often means more ingredients are added) the more processed it becomes. A slice of fresh cooked beef or turkey, for example, is minimally processed. Prepackaged cold cuts are more processed.

Even meat sold in a deli is preserved in some way, however. And that is usually with one or more salt compounds. One commonly used additive is sodium nitrate which helps protect meat from contamination. Here’s a fun fact: Sodium nitrate is also found naturally in plants such as spinach, radishes, lettuce, celery, carrots, cabbage and beets.

An excessive amount of sodium nitrate can be harmful, however. And it would be difficult to get too much of it from vegetables. Hence, the recommendation to limit our intake of processed meats.

Here’s a few suggestions from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Choose lean forms of fresh, frozen or canned chicken or turkey in place of luncheon meats. Add more seafood (tuna, anyone?) to your diet. We tend not to eat enough of these foods.

We can still enjoy that occasional hot dog at the ball park. Just don’t forget your daily fruit and veggies. Vitamin C in these foods helps prevent the conversion of nitrates to more harmful substances in the body.

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