Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, delicatessens, and deli meats—are precooked or
cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in
sandwiches or on a
tray.[1] They can be purchased pre-sliced, usually in
vacuum packs, or they can be sliced to order.
Most pre-sliced lunch meats are higher in
fat,
nitrates, and
sodium than those that are sliced to order, as a larger exposed surface requires stronger preservatives.[1] As a result, processed meats may significantly contribute to incidence of
heart disease and
diabetes, even more so than
red meat.[2]
A prospective study following 448,568 people across Europe, showed a positive association between processed
meat consumption and mortality caused by cardiovascular disease and cancer.[3] Similarly, a prospective study in the US following half a million people flagged a similar association between death and increased processed meat consumption.[4] The
World Cancer Research Fund International guidelines on
cancer prevention recommend avoiding all
processed meats.[5]
Safety
Deli lunch meat is occasionally infected by Listeria. In 2011, the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) advises that those over age 50 reheat lunch meats to "steaming hot" 165 °F (74 °C) and use them within four days.[6] In 2021, the US CDC reported another wave of Listeria outbreak. The final investigation notice from 2023 advices that "people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system" reheat deli products to the aforementioned temperature in order to "kill any germs", even when there is no outgoing outbreak.[7]