Tag: Unprocessed lunch meat

According to Consumer Reports, despite some labels claiming otherwise, all deli meats sold in stores are processed to some degree. While the term 'unprocessed lunch meat' is a misnomer in the commercial food industry, the level of processing varies significantly, impacting nutritional quality and potential health risks.

While all store-bought deli meats undergo some form of processing, the term “processed meat” usually refers to products preserved with nitrates or other additives. This is key to understanding what lunch meats are not considered processed in the high-risk sense, but rather are minimally altered for consumption.