What are Processed Meats?

On any given trip to your local supermarket you are met with countless shelves of processed meats. In an age of speed, these top sellers are highly convenient, economically priced, and require little to know preparation. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know what processed meats are or even how they become that way.

What They Are

Processed meat is meat that has undergone a transformation from its raw ingredients into a food that can be consumed by humans. Any meat that has been altered from its natural state, generally for safety concerns and added convenience to the consumer, is considered to be processed. Although they are convenient, these meats are frequently higher in calories, sodium and saturated fats.

The Process

Processing meat can be done by a variety of methods including canning, refrigeration, dehydration, freezing and aseptic processing.

Examples of Processed Meats

• Canned meat




• Cured meat




• Ham




• Lunch meat/deli meat




• Sausage




• Bacon




• Fresh meat that contains additives