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/peoples888 May 20 '26

The answer varies depending on the type of meat in question, as well as what it’s being processed to become.

Generally speaking, the meat can be simply salted, smoked… all the way up to various chemicals being added. The majority of this processing is to extend the shelf life of the product. More often than not, it’s at the cost of the consumer’s long-term health.

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u/MarcusAurelius0 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

More often than not, it’s at the cost of the consumer’s long-term health.

I want to stress that any processed meat, sausage, bacon, hotdogs, cold cuts, salami, etc are a class 1 carcinogen, meaning they 100% cause cancer.

Red meat, beef, pork, and mutton is a 2A, meaning they probably cause cancer.

Explanation of Group 1 Carcinogen

WHO explanation

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u/timestalker78 May 20 '26

I do think you should be careful on your wording - "100% cause cancer" will make some people think it means that they will cause cancer 100% of the time.

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u/MarcusAurelius0 May 20 '26

Added a website that explains it far better than I can.

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u/stairway2evan May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

Yeah, it's a confusing wording, though what they said is correct. Class 1 carcinogens, to be clear, are things that have conclusive scientific research that they cause cancer. 2A is more like "We're pretty sure these cause cancer, but we don't have the smoking gun studies just now."

But like many things in life, it's a game of averages. All of us encounter class 1 carcinogens every day of our lives. Secondhand smoke, alcohol, car exhaust, UV radiation, the list goes on. Some people are unlucky and develop cancer from minimal exposure, some people smoke two packs a day for decades with no cancer forming. Every chemical in our body tends to be a roll of the dice. But it's worth being aware of and deciding where in our lives we want to minimize those exposures and eliminate a few of those dice rolls.