When is processed meat, processed meat?
Discussion
There is a lot of talk, and presumably evidence, that eating too much processed meat is bad for you. The same is not said so much about unprocessed meat. So when does meat become 'processed' and what changes happen to transform a nice steak into something bad for your health? If you take a steak, mince it, add some onions and spices, then reform it, you have a burger. Nothing in that burger, on its own, is bad for you, and yet the health people would say that it is processed meat? 
Condi said:
There is a lot of talk, and presumably evidence, that eating too much processed meat is bad for you. The same is not said so much about unprocessed meat. So when does meat become 'processed' and what changes happen to transform a nice steak into something bad for your health? If you take a steak, mince it, add some onions and spices, then reform it, you have a burger. Nothing in that burger, on its own, is bad for you, and yet the health people would say that it is processed meat?
We need to see the link for this claim before we can comment.What is the definition of processed v unprocessed meat also compared to home cooking??
Processed meat is generally not the sort of stuff you would happily eat if given to you in its unprocessed state.
Processed in the unhealthy point of view is the added fat and salt to make it acceptable to eat.
Like all things there are cheap foods and more expensive foods. The bottom of range will generally have a higher salt and fat content which if eaten regularly is too much for a balanced diet.
Unprocessed whole foods if bought in there natural state enables you to control the amount of added salt and fat. As you say above with the steak mince burger you know exactly what’s in it if made by yourself. Fat and salt make things taste good, lean meat tends to taste a little lacking hence meat is processed and obviously goes further. That said cheap cuts of meat can make good meals when cooked properly. It’s how much you are prepared to make the effort in your home cooking. Home cooking from whole unprocessed foods does work out cheaper in the long run. You need the seasoning and herbs you prefer and then it’s a doddle putting dishes together with or without meat.
Just my opinions though, I’m sure others will be more comprehensive
Processed in the unhealthy point of view is the added fat and salt to make it acceptable to eat.
Like all things there are cheap foods and more expensive foods. The bottom of range will generally have a higher salt and fat content which if eaten regularly is too much for a balanced diet.
Unprocessed whole foods if bought in there natural state enables you to control the amount of added salt and fat. As you say above with the steak mince burger you know exactly what’s in it if made by yourself. Fat and salt make things taste good, lean meat tends to taste a little lacking hence meat is processed and obviously goes further. That said cheap cuts of meat can make good meals when cooked properly. It’s how much you are prepared to make the effort in your home cooking. Home cooking from whole unprocessed foods does work out cheaper in the long run. You need the seasoning and herbs you prefer and then it’s a doddle putting dishes together with or without meat.
Just my opinions though, I’m sure others will be more comprehensive
Your example of making your own burgers is still processed meat.
As a general term processed covers a lot of food. Pretty much everything you buy at a supermarket has gone through some process to extend it’s shelf life which would technically make it processed.
The bad news comes from the kind of process where manufacturers take a basic ingredient, be it meat, dairy or some sort of produce and add fat, salt, sugar, nitrates or some other ingredient to it more profitable.
I.e. you purée cheap pork, add fat, salt and nitrates. Reform it into vaguely ham like shapes and slice it. You’ve got a quart out of a pint cup but it’s arguably not something anyone should be eating.
As a general term processed covers a lot of food. Pretty much everything you buy at a supermarket has gone through some process to extend it’s shelf life which would technically make it processed.
The bad news comes from the kind of process where manufacturers take a basic ingredient, be it meat, dairy or some sort of produce and add fat, salt, sugar, nitrates or some other ingredient to it more profitable.
I.e. you purée cheap pork, add fat, salt and nitrates. Reform it into vaguely ham like shapes and slice it. You’ve got a quart out of a pint cup but it’s arguably not something anyone should be eating.
Condi said:
There is a lot of talk, and presumably evidence, that eating too much processed meat is bad for you. The same is not said so much about unprocessed meat. So when does meat become 'processed' and what changes happen to transform a nice steak into something bad for your health? If you take a steak, mince it, add some onions and spices, then reform it, you have a burger. Nothing in that burger, on its own, is bad for you, and yet the health people would say that it is processed meat?
Mechanical manipulation of fresh meat isn't processing. So mincing, cutting or mixing with simple ingredients isn't processing. Your burger would not be processed meat if you made it from fresh whole cuts. Supermarket mince will likely have received some preservation.But, the majority of meat, including some fresh, will have been treated in some way to improve shelf life or enhance flavours.
ambuletz said:
except it's not. you might as well go on and say we're processing meat whenever we chew on it cos it goes down as a mush.
The reason we started mincing beef was that it made cuts that were tougher easier to deal with. That’s processing right away.Like I say it’s a very general term.
The chewing. digestion & disposable of food by the human body is definitely processing
.Condi said:
There is a lot of talk, and presumably evidence, that eating too much processed meat is bad for you. The same is not said so much about unprocessed meat. So when does meat become 'processed' and what changes happen to transform a nice steak into something bad for your health? If you take a steak, mince it, add some onions and spices, then reform it, you have a burger. Nothing in that burger, on its own, is bad for you, and yet the health people would say that it is processed meat?
No they don’t. 
people seem to be getting confused here.
when people talk about 'eating processed meat is bad for you' it refers to meat that has gone through some form of salting/preservation. as others have said.. the mechanical processing of meat doesn't make it more unhealthy.
slice of pork loin? not processed meat
pork mince your butcher made earleir today? not processed meat
pork sausages your butcher made fresh? not processed meat
slice of unsmoked bacon. processed meat 'bad' for you. it's still cured meat
smoked bacon. processed meat, 'bad' for you too, marginally worse than unsmoked
chorizo/salami- processed meat. probably considered the worst.
when people talk about 'eating processed meat is bad for you' it refers to meat that has gone through some form of salting/preservation. as others have said.. the mechanical processing of meat doesn't make it more unhealthy.
slice of pork loin? not processed meat
pork mince your butcher made earleir today? not processed meat
pork sausages your butcher made fresh? not processed meat
slice of unsmoked bacon. processed meat 'bad' for you. it's still cured meat
smoked bacon. processed meat, 'bad' for you too, marginally worse than unsmoked
chorizo/salami- processed meat. probably considered the worst.
Edited by ambuletz on Saturday 17th August 19:37
It’s you that’s confused, the mince and sausages are still processed meats.
The problem is the use of a very general term for a specific risk.
I guess it would be better to say industrially processed meats?
It’s the products that have been industrially manipulated to make them more profitable and less nutritious that are the problem.
The problem is the use of a very general term for a specific risk.
I guess it would be better to say industrially processed meats?
It’s the products that have been industrially manipulated to make them more profitable and less nutritious that are the problem.
TBH if you wanted to be really pedantic there isn’t one part of the modern food industry that isn’t processed.
Commercially farmed animals and produce are lab tested to make sure that they’re almost guaranteed to give out maximum yield with minimal time and risk of sickness/spoilage. They would never appear in nature as they do in a farm.
But that’s a different story
Commercially farmed animals and produce are lab tested to make sure that they’re almost guaranteed to give out maximum yield with minimal time and risk of sickness/spoilage. They would never appear in nature as they do in a farm.
But that’s a different story
It's amazing how nitrates in vegetables are a good thing:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegetables-rate-b...
...yet nitrates in meat are bad.
This is a pattern the observant will spot over and over again in this context!
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegetables-rate-b...
...yet nitrates in meat are bad.
This is a pattern the observant will spot over and over again in this context!
Evanivitch said:
ZedLeg said:
It’s you that’s confused, the mince and sausages are still processed meats.
Mince meat isn't processed meat. It's just a type of cutting. Unless preservatives have been added.Sausage meat isn't a pure meat substance.
you have to buy a reasonably decent sausage to even get 90% plus pork, and ‘pork’ is a pretty wide brief... Cheap sausages have got rusk, skin, fat added, heaps of salt etc.
Sausages are all ‘processed meat’ IMO unless it’s literally ground pork in casings fresh from a butcher- even then they’re not a healthy food. Lots of fat.
grumbledoak said:
It's amazing how nitrates in vegetables are a good thing:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegetables-rate-b...
...yet nitrates in meat are bad.
This is a pattern the observant will spot over and over again in this context!
It's a bit more complicated than whether it contains nitrates or not...https://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegetables-rate-b...
...yet nitrates in meat are bad.
This is a pattern the observant will spot over and over again in this context!
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190311-what-are-...
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