Experts Revealed What Salami Is Made Of – And Now You May Never Eat It Again

Is there anything better than taking a picnic on a sunny day? You could bring all sorts of food along with you, but it’d be hard to beat a selection of cheeses, olives, fresh bread and – of course – some delicious salami. After all, this latter mouth-watering treat isn’t just great on top of a pizza. But could something that tastes so good be bad for you?

Well, it’s a mixed bag. As a fermented product, salami is chock-full of bacteria that help to boost gut health. It also provides a ton of minerals, nutrients and vitamins. But two of the most important components of salami are sodium and fat – and it’s saturated fat, which is the worst kind.

Disturbingly, salt and fat aren’t the worst things in salami. Even the versions of the sausage that claim not to be “cured” still contain potentially harmful chemicals, albeit naturally sourced versions. On top of that, salami doesn’t necessarily compensate for the bad that it can do. After all, it’s not exactly a plate of salad.

When you hear “salami,” you may think of the sliced produce you can pick up at your local store. But there’s a lot more to it than that. The word “salami” simply denotes cured meat in a case – and that doesn’t narrow things down much. Lots of different products can be called “salami,” but they have different consistencies and various spice mixes.

Curing meat usually means that you add salt to it, drying it out and making it last longer. Sometimes, you’ll also cook or smoke the meat – although it isn’t usually cooked – and then introduce sugar, spices, and nitrites or nitrates. These latter terms denote compounds that are made up of oxygen and nitrogen. They’re used to stop harmful microbes from growing. Meat treated with nitrites or nitrates will turn red or pink.