Traditional sausages are made from pork trimmings and a mixture of leftover cuts of bacon, chicken and turkey. The meat is ground into a slimy paste and mixed with water, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors. Are they leaving that sausage yet?
The red and light brown varieties that are almost always on sale contain very little real meat. Instead, they are made from 64% mechanically recovered chicken (the slimy paste created when a carcass stripped of traditional cuts is fed into a crushing machine) and 17% pork.
Many people believe that buying the most natural and finest sausages allows you to get rid of their infamous ingredients, but that is not true. Even the most natural sausages (100% beef or pork) have been shown to contain exactly the same ingredients listed below, even if they say “natural” or “healthy” on their packages.
Ingredients of all sausage:
fluoride: If you are not familiar with the dangers of fluoride, you can review it here.
High-fructose corn syrup: More than 60% of sausage brands contain high-fructose corn syrup, which, according to various research, may contain mercury.
Starch: all sausages, from the cheapest to the “luxury” ones, are filled with the carbohydrate starch. Sausages typically contain starch from genetically modified potatoes mixed with salt. The starch gives more volume to the sausage and helps the ingredients mix well.
Salt: each sausage has about 2% table salt; that is, discolored and chemically manufactured salt.
Milk protein: Adding milk protein powder to the meat mixture also helps bind it.
Sodium nitrite: Processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer and this is largely due to the sodium nitrite that is added to sausages to prevent them from turning gray and to scare away microbes.
Flavors: By law, sausage packages do not have to say what artificial flavors are added. Many use artificial smoke and spice flavor (where MSG hides, and does not have to be labeled).
Potassium Sodium Triphosphates: These are synthetically produced colorless salts that act as stabilizers, highlighters, and emulsions. They give the sausage a firmer texture, keep it at the correct acidity, and allow the oils and fats to mix with the water. They are also used in detergents as water softeners and added to paper and rubber.
Polyphosphates (E452): another common food additive. E452 is an emulsifier and stabilizer that improves the texture of the sausage and prevents fat from spoiling. It also helps prevent some bacteria, because it acts as a poison. Polyphosphates cause more rapid progression of specific foods and can lead to kidney damage.
Sodium Ascorbate: A synthetic form of vitamin C, sodium ascorbate is an antioxidant and acidity regulator that prevents meat from losing its red color. When taken as a supplement, it can cause skin and lung irritation.
Carmine: Carmine is the most popular red dye in processed products. It is obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid produced by some insects. The one obtained from the cochineal is the result of crushing its shell and then boiling it in ammonia or sodium carbonate. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial products, paints, red ink and cosmetics. The color can trigger allergic reactions in some people.