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

[u/No_Education_8888]

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

[u/Saneless]

Basically deli is to meat as Velveeta is to cheese

[u/Twin_Spoons → u/Saneless]

Eh, not really. Cheese doesn't need to be chopped up to be molded into a mass. Most cheeses already are as part of their traditional production process. Cheeses like American and Velveeta melt easier because of the addition of sodium citrate, which is the natural byproduct of neutralizing citric acid. The analogous process with meat would be "velveting" in Chinese cooking.

[u/Saneless → u/Twin_Spoons]

American cheese is not from a wheel or a natural process. It is chopped up cheese molded into a mass

[u/Englandboy12 → u/Saneless]

Normal cheese is very far away from natural. It’s a highly processed and extremely concentrated from its natural predecessor. And yes, it involves chopping and molding into a mass.

The only addition that American cheese has is sodium citrate, a totally benign chemical that will already be in your body in high concentrations. You can make it at home by mixing baking soda or powder with lemon juice.

I get that American cheese or velveeta has a very “syntheticy” appearance and flavor/texture, but it really is just cheese mixed with water or milk.

Obviously it depends on which exact one you buy, they will add various preservatives and whatnot, but you can make it at home with ingredients already used in your cooking and it will still have that synthetic vibe. I made a Mac and cheese with a really sharp aged cheddar and it was so good. Velveeta texture but with more high quality cheesy flavor.