Avoid harmful chemicals in processed meat

This is probably the umpteenth time you would be
hearing this. Processed meats contain chemical
substances that are harmful to health.
A recent study conducted by Nigerian scientists in
various markets in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt has
also confirmed our fears.
The researchers found out that imported processed
chicken and turkey were preserved with a high level of
formalin, a chemical that can be injurious to health
when consumed in high quantities.
A nutritional enzymologist, Dr. Okhiomah Abu, who is
also one of the researchers, said that poultry products
imported into the country contained toxic and heavy
metals that could worsen the occurrence of food-borne
diseases.
Abu said, “Most of the feeds given to these poultry
animals are usually contaminated and they contain
metals. The heavy metals are concentrated in the
kidneys and livers of the chicken.
“They also find them difficult to excrete, so they are
passed along to humans who eat these imported
meats.
“We also found out that poor handling of these
imported meats also increases the risk of
contamination.”
Another researcher, Prof. C.I. Alarima, said the study
also shows that processed poultry products, especially
chicken and turkey, were loaded with harmful microbes
such as Salmonella, which have been linked with life-
threatening food-borne diseases.
He said, “Salmonella infection is the leading cause of
food-related deaths among those who eat processed
meats. These bacteria can provoke a number of
symptoms of the disease within 72 hours of exposure
and could last for four to seven days.”
Many of us are aware that processed foods add little or
no nutrients to the body, yet we cannot stop eating
them. Due to the rigours of today’s daily living, people
have less time to prepare nutritious meals for their
family.
We all agree that it is easier to cook smoked or frozen
chicken, which is readily available in many food marts
in one’s neighbourhood. Processed foods have the
advantage of saving time, which makes them tempting
to people who have a busy lifestyle and for those who
do not particularly like to cook.
Fast food chains have also not helped matters. Several
studies have showed that more than 90 per cent of the
poultry meat used in these restaurants are processed.
Experts say we must strive to eat organic meat
(naturally raised livestock) instead of the processed
ones, as the chemicals that are used to preserve many
of them can make us sick.
Scientists warn that though processed foods are
cheaper and more convenient, the high levels of
chemicals used to process and preserve them for
industrial purposes could predispose women to breast
and ovarian cancers.
They note that there are hidden costs attached to these
instant and convenient foods.
Examining the link between consumption of processed
foods and cancer, Professor of Radiology at the
University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Ifeoma Okoye,
blames increasing intake of processed foods, which, she
notes, are loaded with toxins, for the increasing
incidence of cancer.
Okoye defines processed foods as meals that have
been altered from their natural state. Their preservation
is by freezing, canning, salting or frying, using salt,
sugar, spices, hormones, condiments or additives and
other forms of preservatives.
She explains that processed foods are items that have
been commercially prepared for ease of consumption.
According to her, they comprise canned foods, instant
noodles or spaghetti made with refined white flour
instead of whole grains, packaged high-calorie snack
foods, as well as chips, candies and processed meats.
Okoye notes that many processed foods contain
carcinogenic compounds – which are usually the root
causes of cancer.
For example, synthetic vitamins, which can be
carcinogenic when they lose their potency, are added to
processed foods such as bread and pastries to improve
their shelf life.
She says, “We all know that foods are most nutritious
in their natural state. So, the less cooked they are, the
more beneficial they are. But when it has been
processed, the nutrients are almost gone.
“Besides, they contain chemicals, known as additives
for, among others, colour, consistency, taste and shelf
life.
“They are toxins – chemicals that are carcinogenic;
they steal nutrients from the body system, weakening it.
“They make the body more and more vulnerable to free
radicals, and cancerous cells begin to develop.”
Okoye laments that adults are not the only ones at the
risk of the dangers of processed meals. According to
her, parents now load their kids’ plates and lunch boxes
with processed foods, such as biscuits, candies and
snacks made from processed flour.
She links this to the increasing incidence of childhood
and teenage cancers.
“Our children are the ones at the risk of the cancer
epidemic due to their diets. You only need to peep into
children’s lunch boxes today to know that a problem is
in the horizon.
“Many parents fill their children’s lunch boxes with
drinks, sweets, biscuits and snacks. Even the schools
that should know better serve their pupils noodles,
spaghetti, and processed meats for lunch.
“The danger now is that the children have an over-load
of toxins from these foods in their systems. This
increases their risk of having cancer, just as it peaks
when they become adults,” she adds.