Deli meats (also called cold cuts or lunch meats) are precooked or cured meats, usually sold sliced and ready to serve. Cold cuts are perfect for a picnic platter or sandwich filling. 

Types of Deli Meats 

Here is an overview of some deli meats and how they are prepared.

Whole Cuts

Whole cuts are whole sections of meat or poultry that are precooked or cured before being sliced on-demand or simply sold as a whole. These meats may be more expensive than other deli meats. 

Sectioned and Formed Products

These products are also called restructured meats, as they are prepared by taking several chunks of meat and bonding them together to form whole products, such as cooked sandwich hams. 

Meat proteins, myosin, in particular, are extracted and then used as a mechanism to bind the softened meat before it is forced into casings to be shaped. In this pliable state, you cook the meat to cause the proteins to merge, forming it into a new product.

Processed Meats

Processed meats, like sausages, are all meats that are chopped, seasoned and moulded into their respective shapes.

Are Deli Meats Safe to Eat?

The biggest risk of consuming cold cuts is listeria, a serious food issue. Listeria is an infection that can make people seriously ill. The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is killed when you cook or pasteurise meat, which is why ready-to-eat cold cuts could pose a potential risk. 

However, if you order from a trusted service provider like Van Wyngaardt, you can rest assured as we are a deli meat plant that is export approved (ZA44), FSA accredited, and HACCP approved. SABS also regularly comes and tests our product to ensure that it’s of the highest quality. Therefore, you can be certain that you always get the safest, best quality deli meats.

As with all good things, you should enjoy deli meats in moderation. While these meats are perfectly safe to eat, it has a high sodium content. Also, always ensure that you refrigerate your deli meats properly before consumption. 

Am I Paying for Water?

Deli meat companies often add water, sodium and spices to their cold cuts. However, this must be within legal limits and must clearly indicate this on the label. For example, it has to say ‘10% water added’. 

Because you buy deli meats according to weight, carefully check the packaging to see how much water the supplier has added to their product. 

Watch the Sell-By and Use-By Dates 

It’s important to note that cold cuts are highly perishable. Although some do contain preservatives to increase shelf life, cold cuts that have been taken out of the packaging generally last only for three to five days. 

If you slice your deli meat fresh, keep it in an airtight bag and keep it in the coldest section of your fridge. Fresh cuts will go off sooner and can last anything from one to three days if stored properly.

Never buy a cold cut product that’s past the ‘sell-by date and never consume it after the ‘use-by’ date.

Get Your Deli Meats Online

Browse our range of deli meats and order online today.