Nutritional balance of cured meats

Perezgonzalez studied the nutritional balance of cured meats in 2011¹. He found that sandwich-ready cured meats in New Zealand tend to be highly unbalanced, with average BNI values of around 145.09 (foodBNI⁵). When cured meats are considered as part of a diet (ie, all cured meats are consumed approximately in the same proportion over time), an analysis of average nutrient composition for the aggregated sample becomes relevant and informative. Cured meats thus show an average nutritional balance of BNI 140.91na (dietBNI⁶), being particularly unbalanced towards excess of sodium. Being an animal-derived product, they are also high in protein, fat and saturated fat, and low in carbohydrate, sugar and fiber (see illustration 2).

Illustration 1: Nutrition information (dietBNI)

foodBNI (mean)⁵	145.09	0.00

dietBNI⁶	140.91na	0.00

Cured meats (100g)	2011	Ideal
Protein	18.0	8.5
Carbohydrate	3.1	23.5
Sugar	0.9	< 4.3
Fat	9.6	4.7
Saturated fat	4.1	< 1.9
Fiber	0.0	2.6
Sodium	1.309	< 0.171
Kcal	170.8	170.8
kJul	714.6	714.6

Illustration 2: Nutritional profile (dietBNI)

55%
50%			*
45%			*
40%	*		*
35%	*		*
30%	*		*
25%	*		*
20%	*		*
15%	*		*
10%	*		*
5%	*	*	*
mid	p	c	f	fb
max		s	sf		na
5%			*		*
10%			*		*
15%			*		*
20%			*		*
25%					*
30%					*
35%					*
40%					*
45%					*
50%					*
55%					*
60%					*
65%					*

ideal % = grey cells; actual % = asterisk (*)

International standards

Cured meats are highly unbalanced according to international Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs), although a bit less so according to the U.S.'s, Canadas's and the U.K.'s standards.

Illustration 3: Nutritional balance across different RDIs (cured meats)

Cured meats (mean )	foodBNI⁵	145.09	164.00	117.24	132.69	116.71
Cured meats (average)	dietBNI⁶	140.91	160.91	102.39	122.39	102.39

Product100g	Company	BNI	WHO	US/CAN	AUS/NZ	UK
Value shaved ham	Countdown	94.22	114.22	65.75	85.75	64.82
Value ham & chicken luncheon	Countdown	107.06	127.06	89.26	90.79	89.26
Hellers manuka smoked ham	Hellers	117.66	137.66	90.29	110.29	90.29
Value shaved Polish sausage	Countdown	123.17	143.17	90.43	107.10	90.43
Kiwi shaved pastrami	Goodman Fielder	127.98	147.98	102.11	122.11	100.11
Hellers roast chicken	Hellers	128.05	148.05	100.65	120.65	98.65
Value shaved roast chicken	Countdown	129.11	149.11	101.71	121.71	99.71
Countdown shaved champagne ham	Countdown	130.55	150.55	103.12	123.12	102.93
Hellers 97% fat free shaved ham	Hellers	130.55	150.55	103.12	123.12	102.93
Countdown shaved corned silverside	Countdown	131.77	151.77	104.34	124.34	104.34
Value shaved roast beef	Countdown	132.83	152.83	109.31	129.31	109.31
Pams reduced fat Italian salami	Pams	139.87	159.87	102.94	122.63	102.94
Hellers cooked silverside	Hellers	141.40	161.40	113.97	133.97	112.21
Pams snyworst salami	Pams	146.37	161.32	129.28	129.28	129.28
Value shaved pastrami	Countdown	161.55	181.55	131.01	151.01	131.01
Beehive champagne ham tasty honey cured	Premier Beehive	175.27	195.27	145.49	165.49	145.49
Verkerks Dutch salami	Verkerks	176.42	187.47	155.74	155.74	155.74
Verkerks Italian salami	Verkerks	181.37	192.55	160.03	160.03	160.03
Italian salami	Progressive	182.04	202.04	153.12	159.65	153.12
Eurodell coppa	Eurodell	186.95	206.95	143.90	163.90	143.90
Eurodell prosciutto	Eurodell	202.71	222.71	166.47	186.47	164.47
(Source: Perezgonzalez, 2011¹)

Correlations between indexes tend to be high and positive, indicating that cured meats would be organized in a similar hierarchy of nutritional unbalance by different international standards.