To not have known that deli chicken is a level 1 carcinogen

[nevertearusapart]

Am feeling fairly stupid about this but only just realised that deli chicken / turkey are considered level 1 carcinogenic processed meats so linked to negative health effects incl. cancer. The examples used are typically ham, sausages, bacon, salami etc so I just assumed red meat for some reason. The deli chicken that we eat was labelled 100% natural and only contained chicken, potato starch, salt and vinegar but it now looks like it’s almost bad as the rest.
Does everyone know things like this and what do people put in kids lunches? (And yes I know it’s all about daily / excessive consumption etc etc)

I think this is a pick your poison type situation. You can make better choices in life, but ultimately your body is aging and being aged every day that you sleep, wake up, breathe, move about, your heart beats and gets general wear and tear. Simply being alive puts you at risk of cancers, heart disease etc etc

What about frozen veg? Just looked it up and didn't realise that's classed as processed too?

Just don't eat.

I didn't know this but I have recently significantly reduced UPF and reading a lot more labels. I noticed the chicken was buying contained sugar, so I know cook my own.

She genuinely prefers it to better quality chicken. I can assure you she is not a ‘poor’ dog, in fact she eats better than most humans. There is absolutely no rubbish quality dog food around here and she is very spoilt. The chance of it adversely effecting her health is negligible so as an occasional treat I am happy for her to have it.

Not comparable to processed meats in the slightest. Practically every food that humans eat is processed in some way - that doesn’t necessarily make it bad.

@HighlandCow78 phew.thanks for clarifying. My little boy had cancer and now I tend to panic x

@Danielle8p sorry that you were panicked. Hugs.

Because they don't eat veg when they're younger.

What's wrong with hummus? My kids are older now but I feel your pain. My dd literally hated sandwiches of all types !!!

Showing my age now but I remember the deli where they had huge big hams and massive breasts of chicken and you pointed to the one you wanted and they cut some slices off it. I'd say they cooked them off site. That wouldn't count as processed or would it? Are sausages bad. Ds has sausages for breakfast nearly every day. I try to buy best quality I can afford tho

I don't even know what level 1 carcinogen means. Is it good?

I think they're talking about the sliced chicken you can buy in packets usually next to the ham packets

Agree. If everything is so bad for us, how come we are living longer? I take it all with a pinch of monosodium glutamate.

How do you know?

Have you interviewed them?

I bloody love sausages. I’m not giving them up. Sausage and mash, food of the gods.

Why is hummus banned? It is just chickpeas and tahini basically. If they don’t want the sesame seed element from the tahini you can make it with the chickpea water from the can.

Some people can only afford this chicken. I am happy for you to feed it to your dog (I feed cooked chicken to mine with his dry food) but disparaging it is disparaging those who have no choice but to eat it.

I am sorry but you are incorrect. Nobody is forced to eat this chicken. There are far better, healthier and cheaper protein sources out there. No disparagement here - I have been that person on the breadline before. If I couldn’t afford half decent quality meats then I simply wouldn’t buy them.

I just cannot be arsed to worry about this. I know a diet high in processed meats isn't great for you. But I'm going to assume that a bit of "packet" ham or chicken on a small sandwich a few times a week is not the end of the world, alongside a balanced-ish diet.

There's no way I have the time or inclination to cook fresh chicken or make my own sesame-free hummus for school lunches!!

As I understand it, there are 3 levels. Definitely causes cancer, might cause cancer, and definitely does not cause cancer. You then need to choke this with quantities, as you mention, but also consider the increase in risk associated.

Take bacon. Apparently definitely causes cancer, but you have to eat at least 100g a day, every day. IIRC, it increases your risk of a specific cancer by about 60%, which sounds like a lot, except without it the risk is 2%, so a 60% increase only takes it to just over 3%. I'd suggest that's still within the risk appetite for many people...

Salt is a major problem in our diet - causes high BP which is a huge risk factor for stroke & heart disease. Just because something is natural or unprocessed doesn't mean it's good for you!

Yes, there are cheaper alternatives if you have the expertise and the knowledge to use them. But many people do not have this expertise or knowledge.
Many of the young women I have met would not have a clue what to do with a tin of chickpeas, stewing steak or quark - because their parents did not know either and there is nowhere to learn these skills anymore.
Many such women have their eyes opened when they decide to slim and join a commercial slimming group that publishes recipes - and then they learn how to cook.
If you can't cook you are pretty much stuck with processed foods.
Also, if you have a low income it is taste that matters with food - not how healthy it is. Food and TV and cigarettes may be the only joys you have.

@Quodraceratops

Did you quote the wrong post??

I said I know it's high in salt. I didn't say anything about it being natural or unprocessed? I didn't say it was good for you??

I can't actually see how your post relates to mine at all.

@Grammarnut I’ve been thinking about this and your point is spot on in my case (and I doubt that I’m alone). The extent of my formal food learning is HomeEc twenty years ago. My parents didn’t cook so we grew up on packet ham and tinned stew - all still alive though. Most of what I know about healthy foods is from socials like Mumsnet and DH. I just buy fresh or where I recognise the ingredients in the packet / can / whatever.
Most days, I barely have time to shower, so not reflecting on whether the added potato starch and salt in the chicken has been converted to ‘bad’ nitrates in cooking.