This one might make your stomach turn quite a lot, so fair warning. Obviously its no secret that packaged meats like pre-sliced ham and other deli meats are processed and likely contain some less than healthy ingredients.
But a video recently surfaced on TikTok depicting how these slices are actually made has many people rethinking their lunchtime sandwich choices.
The footage is so stomach-churning, it’s caused the internet to recoil in disgust and ask, “What in the world could be inside that pink goo?”
The process of making sliced ham begins with what can only be described as a nauseating pink goo-like concoction being mixed into a smooth, soft-serve consistency and plopped into tins similar to the size of a bread loaf.
The mix is then baked and sliced into recognizable sandwich meat slices. This may sound familiar as it’s similar to how hot dogs are also churned into cake batter consistency and formed into shapes.
According to McLean Meats, deli meats are typically made from “mechanically deboned meat cuts that are ground into a slurry,” which is then formed and sliced much like what was seen in the viral video.
@thatafricanchick2 I dont want to believe this#????#????#ham#fake#food#blacktiktok#woah
It’s not just cold cuts that are causing concern for health-conscious consumers either – crab stick fans have sworn off them after witnessing how they’re made too.
A Reddit post explaining the process has gone viral because it turns out these savory accoutrements come from pure frozen fish meat being blended with salt, egg white, sugar and vegetable oil – but no real crab. Researchers believe cigarette-style labels on meats may help deter customers from purchasing them due to health risks associated with consuming factory farmed processed foods like cancer risk according to experts.
However not all experts agree on this fear mongering as dietitian Diana Rodgers told The Post that consumption of healthy proteins such as meat were already trending downwards in high income countries before excessive labeling began appearing on products.
Rodgers believes we should curb ultra-processed foods instead of eliminating healthy proteins altogether as iron deficiency rates increase without regular consumption of red meats for example.
While visually bizarre, this video does shed light onto processes behind some popular packaged food items you may be eating everyday without knowing exactly what goes into them or why they might be bad for your health.
