DoctorOz: Are Deli Meat Labels Misleading You? Uncovering the Facts

We're in the midst of a deli meat boom that has reached an estimate of close to $10 billion in sales. With protein-hungry consumers looking for quick and cheap meals, sandwich meat isn't just for lunch anymore, and customers feel good when they see labels like these. But experts are now calling baloney on some of these hefty claims, arguing these labels are misleading and might not be as healthy as you think. And Pilar from New York is worried that she's getting duped in the deli aisle. Take a look. Hi, Dr. Oz, it's Pilar, and I need a food fact check. I saw on my Facebook feed that my son's all-time go-to favorite nitrate-free salami actually might contain nitrates in it. I'm a little bit confused, and I could really use your help on this one. All right, we'll get you an answer, but no matter what the result, we also have practical solutions to help you enjoy your deli meat guilt-free, because I know you're gonna eat it anyway. So with that in mind, here to help food fact check is family health expert, Dr. Jennifer Carl. Why is this food fact check so important to you? Now, I mean, food fact checks when it comes to nitrates and nitrites is so important. We know that processed foods are often cured with nitrates and nitrites, and the thing about them is we also know that nitrates and nitrates can lead to the formation of potentially cancer-causing chemicals. This is a big deal. The stakes are very high. And not only that, but the World Health Organization came out saying that processed meats are carcinogenic when it comes to colon cancer. That's caught on. Let's explain what nitrates are. I don't wanna panic you guys. Let's cut through the confusion with a little food science. Make sense, everybody? That way we know what we're dealing with. Okay, so nitrates and nitrites are actually naturally occurring chemicals. 80% of nitrates come from the vegetables. My favorite, broccoli. They make nitrates and nitrites, right? And then your body sort of swirls them into our stomach, right, and it actually lowers your blood pressure. That's why vegetables are good for you, in part, because our mouth converts these to exactly the form they need to be. So what's the problem, right? Here's the issue. When you add lots of these nitrates and nitrates to someone's processed meat, they can convert to nitrosamine, right? Nitrosamine is different, right? All these little buggers, right, go down into your stomach, and that's the same stuff that's in the tobacco smoke, the carcinogen in tobacco smoke. So you don't wanna have a lot of that hanging around in your stomach, right? Now, this is the issue that's gotten everyone worked up. Dr. Cotto, explain how these get into your deli meat, and why are they there? Right, so when it comes to deli meat and processed meats like bacon and things like that, nitrates and nitrates, and this I really need to stress, they're added for a reason many times. To prevent bacterial growth, that's one thing, so to preserve the foods. But the other thing, as we mentioned before, is it sort of helps preserve and actually give some of the meats flavor and their coloring as well. But consumers, they're well aware of some of the risks of these additives that you just talked about. So what's happened is a lot of manufacturers have actually started using naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites instead of the synthetic ones, and they're also labeling their products nitrate-free or no nitrates added. But the thing is, Dr. Oz. You've all seen this, right? Yeah, yeah. How many of you think that's better? About two-thirds of the audience. Yeah. All right, good. All right, it says turkey, no nitrates, and uncured. Right. That's what it says. Right. No nitrates. But we've got to read the small print. That fine print is really where we have to hone in. If we take a look at this fine print, it says no nitrates except those naturally occurring in celery powder. So even though it said before no nitrates added, it then says, but wait, except those naturally occurring, and that's what's happening. So this is what we have to pay attention to. So does it matter if the nitrate source is a natural one like celery powder, or if it's from a chemical source? So that's the million dollar question. When it comes to processed meats and things like this, many scientists think, no. We often think that the naturally occurring nitrates and nitrates are not much different than the synthetic ones, and that the risk to our bodies could be the same. So this is why, when it comes to labeling of these products and things like that, transparency is so important, and we've got to pay attention. So for this food fact check, we reached out to the North American Meat Institute to get their take. I want to hear from everyone on all sides, and here's what they said in part. Nitrates and nitrites provide a critical food safety function by helping to prevent botulism and other food-borne illnesses. The National Toxicology Program examined the concerns surrounding nitrates and nitrites and found them safe to consume as did the Food and Drug Administration. So they're highlighting what you said, right? However, what are we going to do? What's the consumer going to make as a decision? To learn more about what these labels really mean, we decided to go straight to the source. Here from Consumer Reports is Charlotte Valais, the Senior Policy Analyst in Food and Nutrition. They've been working to actually test what's really in our deli meat. Explain the process that you use to figure out how much of these nitrates and nitrites are in our deli meats. Sure, so at Consumer Reports, we tested 31 different deli meats, both store brand and brand names from nine different companies, all different types, chicken, salami, roast beef, and we specifically looked at the ones that say nothing on the label and then the ones that have that no nitrates or nitrites added claim to compare. So, in the ones that don't have any kind of claim, 12 micrograms of nitrites per gram of meat. Huh, and the ones that are uncured, which means that it wrote no nitrates. Exactly, so this means on the label it said no nitrates or nitrites added, nine micrograms of nitrites per gram of meat. These seem very similar to me. They are, they're essentially the same. I would think this would have been zero, right? Because it says it's uncured. So, does it matter what kind of meat you tested? Nope, roast beef, salami, turkey, chicken, it really didn't matter. So, every one of these favorite brands, whether it said uncured, cured, no nitrates, with nitrates, it doesn't matter, all of them. That's right. So, we reached out to the USDA and essentially they told us that it's actually true, what you just revealed to us, that the no nitrates label is on there even though they're nitrates, and I learned something else, that it is required by law, by law, to write that, when natural sources of nitrates are used. Now, why would, that's weird, isn't it? Yes. The law tells them to tell us something that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Right, essentially the labeling rules just haven't caught up with what's happening with the meat industry. A new petition for that to happen, for the labels to be accurate, right? So, the group went on to say that they're going to consider the petition by Consumer Reports, your group, NCSPI, once the petition process is complete. I think these labels are confusing. You guys hopefully agree with me, and if you want to sign the petition, go to DrOz.com. Let's all make some noise here so at least the labels tell us what we need to know. The bottom line is, what do we do the next time you reach for deli meat at the supermarket? I promised you, as part of this series, I would not take away all your favorite foods, I don't want to be a buzz kill, and ruin your afternoon. So, we had a very simple little practical change. Are you ready for this? You're going to love this. They did a study showing that if you gargled twice a day, they were able to kill off enough bacteria in your mouth that you wouldn't make a lot of that nitrosamine that I showed you earlier in that animation. So, if you're going to have cold cuts, moderation, and you might think about gargling. There are numerous benefits for that, by the way. All right, coming up, we're cutting through the deli meat confusion once and for all. I don't want you to feel like you can't eat the cold cuts anymore, so up next, we'll give you the ultimate buyer's guide to deli meat. Who wants some mouthwash? Mouthwash, no matter how you slice it, buying deli meat can be confusing. From misleading labels to a variety of options, how do you know what to buy? Today, the ultimate deli meat buyer's guide to give you the answers that you've been craving once and for all, and back to help break it all down, is Dr. Jennifer Cottle. So, with the rise of keto and these other high-protein-based diets, people are buying more of the deli meats, but they have concerns. What are the big ones? Yeah, you know, my patients, many of my patients, for example, they're trying to be healthy, which I love, and they also want to eat healthy, but some of their concerns with deli meats is the sodium content. They're worried about how much salt is in them, but they're also worried about other things, like saturated fat and cholesterol, but sodium, that takes the cake. All right, so let's get to the deli meat buyer's guide that everyone can find on DrRoz.com. First is, you gotta buy reduced or low-sodium. You mentioned it's a problem, but it's a huge difference in these choices when you come to deli meat. You know, I always say that every, each deli meat is created differently, every deli brand is created differently. You really gotta read nutritional labels, because the salt content can vary widely, and as you mentioned, you wanna go for that low-sodium or reduced-sodium deli meat. Super important there. So give me an example. If I, you know, a typical serving of deli meat that I might put in a sandwich, how much? Well, that's actually a really good point, because we actually did some research here. We found that at one particular brand, six slices of deli meat had 740 milligrams of sodium. But wait a minute, to put that in context, okay? Let me give you some context. For a heart-healthy diet, we want less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. For some people, that's gotta be less than 1,500 milligrams. So if you're taking in six slices of deli meat and getting over 700 milligrams, that's potentially over half of your daily amount of sodium in six slices of deli meat. That's a lot. Guys, reward the folks who are making products that are a little healthier for you. You can nudge yourself towards less salt. Why not do it? Okay, next up. When it's possible to order from a deli counter versus buying prepackaged, should you do it? That's the question. Joining us now is Matthew, the butcher, from Butcher Bar, and Nidia's here. Nidia, what is your go-to deli meat? My go-to deli meat is roast beef. Roast beef. Yes, it's a little pricey, but it's really filling, it's hearty, and it's just a little treat that I get myself. So, Matthew, everyone's got a bias. Right. Give us the behind-the-counter advice here. What do people need to know about that they don't? What are your secrets? Well, my secrets are the thinner the slice, the tastier the bite. So if you're trying to cut down on that sodium, just go a little thinner on the slice and pack a little bit less in the sandwich, and it'll actually taste better because of all the products combining in your mouth. So that's my little secret. And walk us through these. Which ones do you like? My personal favorite has gotta be turkey, especially when I make it. So the easiest thing, if you wanna make some of your own healthy cold cuts, just take a turkey, roast it up, and put your favorite ingredients in it, some cracked pepper, red pepper, whatever you'd like, and then, again, cut it thin, and it'll be great in any sandwich. So, I can actually recognize this came off of a slice of something, right? There's the chicken and turkey, turkey's over here, the roast beef, as opposed to the ham and the salami. No animal looks like that, right? There's no salami animal. No, no salami. So cut the middle man out, cut him thin like you mentioned, and ask the Matthews. They did a nice choice, by the way. Thank you all for your great advice. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss out on new videos to live the good life.