 A platter of cold cuts | |
| Alternative names | Cold cuts, luncheon meats, sandwich meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, deli meats |
|---|---|
Lunch meats—also known ascold cuts,luncheon meats,cooked meats,sliced meats,cold meats,sandwich meats,delicatessens, anddeli meats—are precooked orcured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served insandwiches or on atray.[1] They can be purchasedcanned, pre-sliced (usually invacuum packs), or they can be sliced to order, most often indelicatessens andcharcuteries.
Lunch meats areprocessed meats designed forconvenience. Thepreservatives added to extend theshelf life have been increasingly scrutinized due to potential links to certain diseases. In the US,Listeria infection is possible and has resulted in additional guidelines from the CDC for the elderly.
Most pre-sliced lunch meats are higher infat,nitrates, andsodium than those that are sliced to order, as a larger exposed surface requires stronger preservatives.[1] As a result, processed meats may significantly contribute to incidence ofheart disease anddiabetes, even more so thanred meat.[2]
A prospective study following 448,568 people across Europe, showed a positive association between processedmeat consumption and mortality caused by cardiovascular disease and cancer.[3] Similarly, a prospective study in the US following half a million people flagged a similar association between death and increased processed meat consumption.[4] The World Cancer Research Fund International guidelines oncancer prevention recommend avoiding allprocessed meats.[5]
Deli lunch meat is occasionally infected byListeria. In 2011, the USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) advises that those over age 50 reheat lunch meats to "steaming hot" 165 °F (74 °C) and use them within four days.[6] In 2021, the US CDC reported another wave ofListeria outbreak. The final investigation notice from 2023 advises that "people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system" reheat deli products to the aforementioned temperature in order to "kill any germs", even when there is no outgoing outbreak.[7]
Media related toCold cut at Wikimedia Commons| Overview |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh sausage | |||||
| Dry sausage |
| ||||
| Smoked sausage | |||||
| Cooked sausage | |||||
| Cooked smoked sausage | |||||
| Precooked sausage | |||||
| Grilled sausage | |||||
| Related articles | |||||
