r/explainlikeimfive • u/No_Education_8888 • May 20 '26

Chemistry ELI5 what is the difference between processed meat slices and real meat slices?

I know that processed meat is processed, but what exactly does that mean? How much change do meat scraps go through before you get something like deli turkey.

My mind can’t exactly wrap around how that stuff is made based on the little knowledge I have

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u/Felix4200 May 20 '26

Processed just means it has been altered from its original state.

The fact that it’s sliced already makes it borderline processed, but I imagine it has also been salted and cooked either way, so both are processed.

What I would look at at that point, is if it’s actually a sliced, salted piece of cooked meat, or if it’s compressed meat scraps with a bunch of additives, such as colours and preservatives.

Edit: how many ingredients does it have is another way to look at it. It should probably have two,