Processed meats have been linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer than unprocessed red meat. Common examples of processed meats include bacon, sausages, hot dogs, pepperoni, ham, corned beef, and salami. All smoked, salted, cured, dried, or canned meat is considered processed. This includes sausage, salami, ham, and cured bacon.
In general, these are products that have been prepared in such a way that some type of preservative is added to them: salt, sulfates, sulfides, nitrates, etc. This would include all hams except “fresh ham”, almost all sausages, all sausages, bacon, dried meat, canned meat, etc. Common processed meats include ham, bacon, salami, sausages and pâté. In addition, they are generally added to turkey bacon and chicken sausages, making them classified as processed meat and not the healthiest options for us.
It is important to note that while processed meats have been linked to an increased risk of certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease, it is still possible to enjoy them in moderation. Nitrosamines are mainly formed when processed meat products are exposed to high temperatures (above 266°F or 130°C), such as when frying bacon or roasting sausages (20). Of course, you can make sausages with as many dirty additives as you want, and if you go far enough in the market, that's what you'll get. If your mind is swirling with this information and your regular lunch or snack routine now seems a little less healthy to you, here are some ideas for replacing processed meats with whole foods.
When it comes to processed meats, consumers are often concerned about added synthetic nitrates which are used to preserve meats and keep them fresher for longer. For this reason, eating a lot of processed meat products over a long period of time (years or decades) can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer. It is important to be aware of the source of your sausages and other processed meats. I get my sausages from a big butcher and I'm sure that all the processing done to them is benign.
They will be high in fat because it is pork and will not come from the leanest part of the pork and because the fat makes the sausages moist and delicious. In addition to this you will have a better service and the meat is of better quality and the sausages are always much tastier there. For this reason eating large amounts of processed meat is more common among people with unhealthy lifestyle habits. It is important to be aware of what goes into your processed meats such as bacon and sausages of any form (including chicken sausages and turkey bacon), charcuterie, salami etc.
Sausages can fall into this trap many cheap sausages have about 30 to 40% meat and contain a lot of additives. The links found between processed meat and diseases may be due in part to the fact that people who eat processed meat tend to do other things that are not associated with good health. Some people advocate that sausages have close to 100% meat I personally think they are better with a good bit of cake and other ingredients.
