Processed meat is meat that has been smoked, cured or dried, usually to increase its shelf life. Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that processed meat products have a negative impact on our health.
These negative health effects have not yet been attributed to one specific component. Preservatives such as nitrates or nitrites are frequently added to processed meat products. Processed meat also often contains more saturated fatty acids than unprocessed meat. Examples of processed meat include ham, salami and liver sausage, as well as other meat products such as sausages, burgers and spiced or marinated meat. Minced meat is not classed as a processed meat. Most processed meat is red meat.
Processed meat and your health
There are a number of health effects associated with consuming processed meat.
iGene Passport
iGene offers you an insight into your personal risks of developing conditions and tells you whether consuming less processed meat may be particularly important for you to help prevent certain conditions. In addition, an iGene Passport provides you with information on what else you can do to reduce any risks. Here we focus on behaviour that will help you maximise the benefits to your health. In the publication below you can read more about what iGene can do for you.