Packaged meats like deli slices and crab sticks may seem like convenient meal options, but a viral TikTok video has shed light on the stomach-churning process behind their production. From a pink goo being mixed into a smooth consistency to fish meat being blended with salt, egg white, and vegetable oil, the unappetizing truth has left many rethinking their lunchtime choices.
The video depicts the making of pre-sliced ham, a staple deli meat often found in sandwiches. The footage shows a pink, slushy substance being poured into tins and then baked before being sliced into recognizable sandwich slices. This process has caused many to recoil in disgust and question, “What in the world could be inside that pink goo?”
It turns out that the process of making deli meats involves mechanically deboned meat cuts being ground into a slurry, similar to how hot dogs are made. According to McLean Meats, this slurry is then formed and sliced into the familiar sandwich slices we see in grocery stores. The process may seem bizarre and unappetizing, but it’s a common practice in the production of packaged meats.
@thatafricanchick2 I dont want to believe this#????#????#ham#fake#food#blacktiktok#woah
But it’s not just deli meats that are causing concern for health-conscious consumers. A Reddit post detailing the making of crab sticks has also gone viral. This seafood imitation is made from a blend of pure frozen fish meat, salt, egg white, sugar, and vegetable oil. The final product is often shaped and colored to resemble a real crab leg, but it contains no actual crab meat.
The revelation of how these popular packaged foods are made has sparked a conversation about the health risks associated with consuming factory-farmed processed foods. This has led some experts to suggest implementing cigarette-style labels on these products to warn consumers of potential health hazards. However, not all experts agree with this form of fear-mongering.
Dietitian Diana Rodgers believes that rather than eliminating healthy protein options, we should focus on curbing ultra-processed foods. She explains, “While visually bizarre, this video does shed light onto processes behind some popular packaged food items you may be eating every day without knowing exactly what goes into them or why they might be bad for your health.”
They’re doing a lot of weird crap to our food and people deserve to know what they’re consuming.
It’s essential to consider the processes behind our food and to prioritize whole, unprocessed options for optimal health. As Rodgers points out, “Iron deficiency rates increase without regular consumption of red meats, for example.” So, instead of eliminating healthy proteins, let’s focus on limiting our consumption of ultra-processed foods for the sake of our health.
Less processed foods mean less opportunity for someone to tamper with it, in my opinion.