True meat content revealed in Britain’s most popular processed foods

Last year saw the return of the Turkey Twizzler, stirring up lots of nostalgic conversations, signalling a comeback for processed food but a question everyone was asking, how healthy are they really?

New research by kitchen retailer, Kutchenhaus, has looked closely at 2020’s ultra-processed foods such as Bernard Matthew Turkey Twizzlers, Birds Eye Chicken Nuggets and Richmond Thick Pork Sausages to reveal what actually goes into them.

Enlisting the support of Alex Ruani, Chief Science Educator at The Health Sciences Academy and UCL Doctoral Researcher, the study further highlights how the nutritional value has changed over the years, with some dangers that until now have not been brought to our attention.

The research discovered some processed foods are still being made with less than half the meat intake:

Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzler – 70% Turkey – 87 Calories

Despite the new and improved version pitching to be healthier with 70% of the product made from meat, Alex states that this can be a misconception, as it is not only pre-fried, which generates harmful damaged fats like trans fats (which are a danger to health), but also contains sodium nitrate, meaning that when the meat is cooked, nitrosamines can form, adding to the volume of carcinogens in the portion.

Bernard Matthews Turkey Dinosaurs – 46% Turkey – 151 Calories

Made by the same company, Bernard Matthews has stated Turkey Dinosaurs still only contain 46% turkey meat and a further 25 other ingredients including flavouring milk and spirit vinegar.

Although processed foods are not necessarily unhealthy, ultra-processed foods like Turkey Dinosaurs contain excess salt, sugar and fat to enhance their flavour, longevity and texture.

Richmond Pork Sausages – 42% Pork – 124 Calories

There is in fact only 42% pork meat in a Richmond Sausage, which hasn’t changed over the past few years. In comparison Asda’s Extra Special pork sausages contain 90% pork, more than double the amount of Richmond’s.

To qualify as a sausage, a product has to be 32% pork, so Richmond only just meets the criteria. Their sausages contain sodium metabisulphite which some people can have a reaction to and may lead to gastrointestinal symptoms, skin reactions, and sneezing.

Alex explains “Just because a product has a high level of meat doesn’t necessarily mean it is healthier. It is important to note that for processed meat, the more meat we see in the product, the higher the health risks. This is because the proportion of carcinogens in the product is higher.”