Doublebase

This is probably an incredibly stupid question but I'm asking anyways. How exactly do they get turkey, ham, etc... into those ovals (w/e) that they slice off to give you your meat? Kinda hard to explain what I'm asking. Is it then called "process meat"? Does it take away from the nutritional value?

Doublebase

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Gordo

This explanation of how some popular deli meats are made will give you an idea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corned_beef
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastrami

Basically, it's in a different state and has been messed with by the butcher or processing plant (henced, processed). It's not so much about what's lost, it's usually what's added that makes processed meats not that great health wise (fat, brines, preservatives etc...).

DaMayor

In general, most processed meats are composed of meat and meat byproducts (lips,sphinctors,etc. )that are combined with a waterbased solution and basically compressed into a "loaf". Depending on the level of quality (i.e, in my restaurant we have to option to buy anything from a "sandwich loaf to high end beef/prime rib) for the most part, these are junk, high in sodium and other preservatives, and nutritionally worthless. The meats we buy for our sandwiches are on the high end of the scale, but still may contain some sort of preservative solution(s).
I'd stick to fresh, un-processed meats if given the choice.....and if available, those that are from an organically fed animal(s)....(e.g., range fed chickens instead of commercially grown birds that are fed anything from the bone/feather meal of their "peers" to arsenic.