To ask if "sliced chicken breast" is processed meat?

[rosesarered9]

I have just bought this Tesco Finest Sliced Chicken Breast And Stuffing for sandwiches. I am trying to limit my intake of processed meats to once or twice a week (Processed meats do cause cancer). It tastes GREAT and it's very convenient for me if I don't want to roast a whole chicken for sandwiches. DH asked why I buy it as it costs £2.50 for 5 slices instead of chicken ham. He said that it probably is a type of processed meat because they must have added preservatives for it to last 5 days.

Does anyone know? I have attached a picture of it.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Quorn is gross, heavily processed and gives me the wild shites.

[gamerchick]

My bowels have to agree man!

[StrattersHasACunningPlan]

Bacterial shit, gamer. Yum

[PollyPerky]

'Processed' usually means something different from 'preserved'. meats like ham, bacon, sausage and salami are processed because they contain a lot of nitrates as part of the curing process and also to preserve them. it's the nitrates that are linked to bowel cancer.

The tesco chicken you are eating does contain preservatives- they are the 'stabilisers' but it's not 'processed' in the way that bacon and ham are.

If you want to avoid meat that's had anything done at all, buy a fresh chicken breast, over roast it and slice it.

[Tfoot75]

The chicken isn't processed in the way that is linked to causing cancer, but the stuffing contains sausage which is processed!

[gamerchick]

Would you consider Quorn? because heavily processed fungus is more appetising?

I agree OP just cook your own and freeze. Chicken breasts roasted and cooled make good slices.

[Fascinate]

It contains salt. One of the reasons for limiting intake of processed meat it to help limit your salt intake. Limit your intake.

[OlennasWimple]

TBH, if you are buying chicken just for sandwiches you may as well buy Tesco Value roast chicken pieces without the stuffing and much more economical

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Again not having a pop J62 but did you know that 'packed in a protected atmosphere' means the actual packaging has been pumped full of an airborne stabiliser? I only just found that out...

[J62]

Sainsburys sell chicken breasts which are poached with nothing added. I buy these or small cooked chicken and slice for sandwiches. I try to avoid stabilisers or preservatives

[rosesarered9]

Cherylene Where it has gone through the process you described in my experience it says 'with added water' or 'with added water for tenderness'.

[1frenchfoodie]

As others are saying - not processed as in the bacon, salami etc the WHO and others have warned about.

[rosesarered9]

Thank you for your replies. I think that from now on I'm going to roast and freeze my own chicken just in case.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

It has been through a 'process' because it's been cooked, sliced and packed and stuffed. But thats not the kind of processes the WHO are talking about - I find cured or salted are easier terms to get my head round.

That said, the stuffing seems pretty processed and it's a wasteful way to buy chicken - I buy sliced meats myself for sandwiches so I'm not having a pop! But it would be much better to roast a whole chicken yourself, slice and freeze in portions.

[FoxtonFoxFace]

One of the issues with processed meat is nitrites. The label usually states if they're in the product.

[A1Sharon]

I buy chicken breasts from the butcher-free range, and roast them as needed. They'll keep for a few days and are perfect for sandwiches.

[Cherylene]

It isn't cooked meat like the chicken you cut off your roast.

It has probably gone through a process whereby it takes on more water which makes cheap chicken meat more tender.

[FurryLittleTwerp]

how can it be "topped with stuffing?"

'stuffed with stuffing", surely...

[trufflesnout]

I don't think the WHO would call it processed actually, because their definition of 'processed' is: meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation.

They're referring to things like salami and jerky mainly, cooking meat doesn't seem to count under this sense of 'altering' that the WHO have defined afaict. They do say that cooking meat in direct contact with a flame (eg barbecuing) isn't great but that other methods of cooking haven't been fully assessed.

I think they are also explicitly talking about processed red meat here (salami again), they don't mention the risks associated with processed poultry or fish, because they haven't assessed them:

www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/

[harderandharder2breathe]

If you're so paranoid about what you're eating why not just buy a chicken and roast it? Probably cheaper and you control what you add to it

[honeyroar]

It's already crap meat though as it's battery chicken. That's not natural, healthy meat..

[Madbengalmum]

Iamnot, you are correct. That is far from the defintin of processed meat.

[IAmNotAMindReader]

That's interesting Birdsgottafly Under that strict definition, as meats natural state is raw, then any cooking renders it processed meat. Wow, I wonder how that's going to fit in with increasingly zealous lunch box restrictions?

[NotDavidTennant]

The fact that it has salt added probably means it counts as processed. But more importantly the stuffing contains pork which has clearly been processed (just look at the list of ingredients for the stuffing).

[pigsDOfly]

Isn't it the process of smoking and curing that causes the problems? And isn't it mainly red meats?

If that chicken isn't cured or smoked, like bacon and salami type meats, I would imagine it doesn't come under 'processed' in the problematic sense.

As pp said, look at the ingredients, and if you're really concerned find out from Tesco what exactly the processing of the chicken involves.