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.

PUNCH.