Recently, emails flooded the Internet alerting readers to the food industry's dirty little secret called "Mechanically Separated Chicken."  Like many of you, I read this little tidbit and my mouth began to water.  I instantly saw the need for another article to help separate the truth from the bird. For those of you that didn't see the spam mail, I took the liberty of copying it for your review.

"Do you know what mechanically separated chicken (or mechanically separated turkey, or pork) is? You may think it is just chicken that is separated mechanically, right? NOPE! It is actually the stripped carcass of the bird. Stripped as in all meat has been removed and the only thing left is the tissue, immature sex glands and bone. They take this carcass and, at high temperature, push it through a sieve. Thus creates a gray paste that can then be used in foods. I was appalled to learn this. I was even more appalled when I learned it is found in most pantries.  

For example, CAMPBELL"S CREAM OF CHICKEN, most frozen meatballs, some deli meats, just about all chicken and turkey franks, turkey bacon etc. My questions: why would companies like Campbell's be using mechanically separated chicken in Cream of Chicken Soup? It doesn't contain an enormous amount of chicken that Campbell's feel they need to cut corners. And shouldn't consumers be made aware of what mechanically separated chicken is? Maybe you can get the word out."

For starters, I have to wonder who is behind this tidbit of information? Could it be a competitor of the Campbell's soup company?  Regardless, if that description scares you just wait until you learn the other unimaginable things that happen in the processing of foods you eat everyday, not just mechanically separated chicken!  After reading the following facts, some of which may cause the hair on your head stand up, I doubt you will ever want to eat any processed foods.  But, let's first consider for a moment the merits of the spam email.

First of all, any product that contains mechanically separated meat must state it very clearly on the label.  If the label does not say the product contains "mechanically separated meat" then it doesn't contain any.  So it is pretty simple to avoid if you just read the label.  Just pick up a Slim Jim and you'll see the last thing listed on the label is "mechanically separated meat."  But that doesn't mean all processed meats contain mechanically separated meat.  And even if they did, is that a bad thing?

Secondly, I don't know what an immature sex gland is exactly.  Is it a sex gland that doesn't act its age?  Or does it throw a temper tantrum whenever it doesn't get its way?  Furthermore, why would it matter if they are immature or mature?  Sex glands are sex glands. Specifically, they are the testicles and ovaries and they are removed before processing mechanically separated meat. Those glands usually end up in a variety of other foods you eat. The author even points out that these meats are made from the stripped carcass.  That means as much meat as possible, including the sex glands, is removed and only the unseparated tissue and bones are left behind.  According to the U.S.D.A. (United States Department of Agriculture,) mechanically separated meats are produced through a process designed to get every last bit of meat from the bone.  This process involves taking the bones with the edible meat attached and forcing it under high pressure through a device that separates the bone from the meat. Why is that so surprising?   How does the author think processed foods are made anyway?  Simply put, mechanically separated meats are made by a "process."  Trust me folks, some of the processes don't seem very appetizing.  But in fairness, when the bone and meat are pressed together and formed into a paste the calcium content increases?a positive, I guess.  In fact, have you ever bought bone meal from a health food store before?  If so, what bones do you think the supplement was made from?  You guessed it--usually the bones of slaughtered cattle, pigs and other livestock.

Let me be very clear here, I don't eat processed meats of any kind and I don't think you should either. After reading that spam email, many of you may decide to avoid mechanically separated meats.  You may not realize, however, that processed meat does not need to be mechanically separated in order to be unhealthy.  Do you ever buy low fat turkey or chicken sliced behind your local deli counter?  Do you think the meats sliced there are somehow better for you or different than the meats sold in the packages?  I hate to burst your bubble here, but the meat sliced behind the deli counter is the exact same meat as sold in the packages!  It's just packaged differently to give you the illusion that it is fresher.  And many don't contain mechanically separated meat.  Allow me to let you in on a little secret here, the meat industry realizes that if a man slices the meat for you, you will think the meat is higher quality or more like meat you cook at home.  It isn't!

Have you ever wondered how they make fat free ham? I don't know about you but I've never seen a fat free pig before.  Here's the basic recipe for the way most luncheon meats are made:  In a large stainless steel vat, chicken, pork or turkey parts are churned together.  In order to make the meat fat free, blades mash the meat into a paste.  An acidic solution is then added to cause the fat to separate from the meat.  The fat then rises to the top and a skimmer removes it.  The leftover paste, however, would not be very palatable.   In order to make it taste like real meat again, the manufacturer must add water, binders and fillers to give the meat the correct mouth feel, taste and texture.  Then preservatives are added to kill food borne bacteria like botulism spores.  Also, chemicals such as nitrites (which can be cancer causing), nitrates (sometimes referred to as salt peter which is a hormone disruptor), and sodium erythorbate are often added together to extend the shelf life and add flavor.  Next, the paste is pushed into either a square or circular tube to be cooked, then washed, sliced and dropped into the packages found hanging in the refrigerated section of your supermarket.  Out of the same vat, the paste is also squirted into large orbs, then compressed, cooked, washed, and dropped into a plastic wrap and then shipped to the deli counter for slicing by your local butcher.  Haven't you ever wondered why all the turkey breasts and other meats sitting behind the glass are the exact same size?  If they were real meats, wouldn't they have irregular shapes and sizes?  Also, haven't you noticed that processed meats have a shiny and smooth texture and that  natural meats have a fibrous texture?  Just imagine trying to slice a real chicken breast with a fork, it would not be easy because the real meat is tougher than the processed meat.

When new technological advancements in processing were made during the 1950's, the meat industry realized they could extend the shelf life of meat from 7-10 days to 3 months or longer.  The USDA understood the economical value of that technology and weighed the risk-to-benefit ratio.  You see, although the documentation shows that nitrites and nitrates can cause cancer, the economical benefit outweighed the risk and the government approved the technology to process meats.  This is a huge concern for women faced with breast cancer and anyone suffering from cancers of the digestive tract. Nitrates are hormone disruptors that can increase estrogen levels, which in turn could lead to an increased risk for recurrence of breast cancer.  Also, nitrites commingle with stomach acids creating nitrosamines.  Nitrosamines have been linked to stomach, colon and rectal cancer.  Surprisingly, not many doctors tell their patients with those types of cancers to avoid processed meats!

Below are pictures of chicken and turkey luncheon "meats" before being cooked and packaged. (Feel free to use your zoom button at 500% to get a closer look at the texture of the meat paste).  Can you see that these pastes don't look anything like the original meats from which they were made?

Chicken meat paste

Turkey meat paste

There are other surprising techniques and ingredients used while making and processing foods.  For example, non-meat additives are used to help "bind" the meats so they retain their smooth texture. These additives may include cereal, soy protein, whey or milk products.  Consequently, anyone suffering from a soy or dairy allergy needs to know that processed meats may contain these allergens and that they should be avoided.  Sausage casings are another shocker.  Natural casings are commonly used in cured sausages.  If the label says "natural casings," it means the casing for the sausage was made from the intestines of an animal.  I assume you know what usually sits inside of an animal's intestines right?  So, not only are you eating a blend of processed stuff, if you eat sausages you are more than likely eating the intestinal lining of whatever animal they choose to use.  It may also surprise you to learn that dry sausages are not always cooked, but rather air-dried over several weeks to a year.  Personally, I can't imagine what kind of preservatives would need to be used in order to give meat a shelf life of one year.  I do know, however, I wouldn't touch that meat with a 10-foot cattle prod!

 Let's assume that you are not yet disgusted enough to avoid processed meats and that you believe that they are a quality protein source.  Do you honestly believe that the protein quality of luncheon meat is the same as an actual chicken breast that you would grill at home?  The answer should be a resounding "NO!"  Once meat is processed and treated with chemicals to preserve it, the amount of protein that is biologically available to the human body is reduced. It's referred to as "protein denaturization" and thus reduces the available protein to be absorbed by the body.  In addition, the added sodium has many negative effects.  Did you know that a real 6 oz. chicken breast contains about 120 milligrams of naturally occurring sodium and that a 6 oz. portion of most processed meats contains about 2100 mg. of sodium?  Were you aware, however, that the sodium in processed meats is not the same as that found in your shaker of salt at home?  Remember, the sodium in processed meats is made up of the hormone disrupters called nitrites, nitrates and erythorbates.  Let's put it more simply, the very nature of processing and adding chemicals alters the meat to render it very different from real meat.  The quality is NOT the same!

Let's add a little more to our list of reasons to avoid processed meats.  Did you know that you are at risk of contracting listeriosis by consuming these products?  Outbreaks of listeriosis are associated with ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented or dry sausage, and other deli-style meat and poultry.  At home, listeria monocytogenes can be destroyed if ready-to-eat foods are reheated to steaming hot or very high temperatures.  But how many of you actually heat a luncheon meat before you eat it?  The risk is real and the consequences can be deadly.

What is the main point that I want to get across to you today?  That many health and weight issues faced by Americans today actually stem from eating a diet high in processed foods and that many Americans are completely unaware of that fact.  Many think that by choosing fat free turkey sliced at the deli that they are actually eating healthfully and in a way that will help them achieve their weight loss goals.  In my practice, however, I have seen many people that rely on luncheon meats get very little results in terms of muscle building and body fat loss.  In addition, children are being reared on a diet filled with Lunchables and deli meat sandwiches and many scientists believe that the high levels of hormone disruptors in these products may be the reason why young girls are menstruating at the age of 9 instead of 13.  So, if the spam email scares you even a little, then my advice to you would be:  Avoid eating processed foods whenever possible and eat the more natural foods the way God made them.