# How are packaged fresh deli meats preserved for so long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734 "2016-05-14T00:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/1 "2016-05-14T00:37:39Z")
For the last decade or so, grocery stores have had sealed packages of fresh deli meat-I’m talking turkey, chicken, roast beef, not cured meats like pepperoni-that have expiration dates weeks or months in the future. Oscar Meyer Delifresh meats are an example. These weren’t around when I was a kid. When one cooks meat at home, the FDA recommends only keeping it for around 4 days. One would assume it’s the same for turkey from a deli. If you wanted meat to last much longer it had to be frozen, canned or heavily cured with salt, nitrates etc. But these sealed packages of apparently fresh meats can last for months. How are these meats preserved? Is it radiation? I recall reading a while back that irradiation was being explored as a way to sterilize foods without damaging them by canning (heating) or freezing. Or is it something else? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/2 "2016-05-14T00:41:47Z")
Bagged lettuce is packaged in nitrogen and keeps for a surprisingly long time. I’ve also heard that some meat packers use carbon MONOXIDE to keep their meat looking fresher, because that keeps it red. The amount used in a package would dissipate quickly after the package is opened and pose no danger. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/3 "2016-05-14T02:18:05Z")
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP): > [@](#): > > Much of the research for extending the shelf life, safety and quality of foods has shifted from manipulating the product to controlling the packaging system. The emphasis remains on controlling the atmosphere, particularly the presence of oxygen. The meat industry has embraced the development of modified atmosphere packaging. The > technology inherently leaves some oxygen behind in the packaging and additional oxygen ingress will occur through the plastic film. Modified atmosphere packaging, partnered with outgredients can effectively eliminate the oxygen within the package over the expected shelf life of the product. In the absence of oxygen, meat’s natural color can be retained for several weeks. The largest single category of products currently employing sorbent technology is sliced deli meats, including smoked and cured meats. Most are pork products; varieties of ham, smoked chops, bacon bits and pepperoni are the most popular. From [here.](http://www.multisorb.com/files/8913/4644/1757/article-eliminating-oxygen-sorbent-technologies-are-ensuring-deli-meat-quality.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/4 "2016-05-14T02:32:00Z")
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen the word “outgredients”. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/5 "2016-05-14T07:40:05Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > For the last decade or so, grocery stores have had sealed packages of fresh deli meat-I’m talking turkey, chicken, roast beef, not cured meats like pepperoni-that have expiration dates weeks or months in the future. Oscar Meyer Delifresh meats are an example. These weren’t around when I was a kid. > > When one cooks meat at home, the FDA recommends only keeping it for around 4 days. One would assume it’s the same for turkey from a deli. If you wanted meat to last much longer it had to be frozen, canned or heavily cured with salt, nitrates etc. But these sealed packages of apparently fresh meats can last for months. > > How are these meats preserved? Is it radiation? I recall reading a while back that irradiation was being explored as a way to sterilize foods without damaging them by canning (heating) or freezing. Or is it something else? Every step from cooking temperature into sealed and atmosphere controlled packaging happen with sterilized equipment in a clean facility as quickly as possible. So very little bacteria in an inhospitable environment, except for the delicious meat, but only some bacteria can live on meat alone. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/6 "2016-05-14T10:03:47Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Bagged lettuce is packaged in nitrogen and keeps for a surprisingly long time. I’ve also heard that some meat packers use carbon MONOXIDE to keep their meat looking fresher, because that keeps it red. The amount used in a package would dissipate quickly after the package is opened and pose no danger. When you see the term ‘packaged in a protective atmosphere’ on bagged salad, it often means sulphur dioxide. (my wife is severely allergic to SO2 and sulphites - I have to be extremely vigilant and look out for this innocent-sounding term in the fine print) ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/7 "2016-05-14T14:03:01Z")
Look at the high Sodium (salt) content. More… See: What is salting?.. [Colonial Williamsburg | The World's Largest Living History Museum](http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume5/images/factsheets.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/8 "2016-05-14T14:21:21Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > When you see the term ‘packaged in a protective atmosphere’ on bagged salad, it often means sulphur dioxide. (my wife is severely allergic to SO2 and sulphites - I have to be extremely vigilant and look out for this innocent-sounding term in the fine print) Isn’t sulphur dioxide “rotten egg gas?” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/9 "2016-05-14T14:41:31Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Isn’t sulphur dioxide “rotten egg gas?” No. That’s Hydrogen Sulphide. Sulfur Dioxide is an _extremely_ pungent, very toxic gas (it creates Sulphuric Acid in the lungs). I doubt that anyone is packaging anything in a SO2 atmosphere, unless it is very diluted with inert gases. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/10 "2016-05-14T15:06:17Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I doubt that anyone is packaging anything in a SO2 atmosphere, unless it is very diluted with inert gases. It’s a very widely used preservative, but it will be used in dilution, of course. if it was used at 100% concentration, it would probably damage things like salad leaves. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-packaged-fresh-deli-meats-preserved-for-so-long/754734/11 "2016-05-14T16:55:42Z")
Buddig has sold packaged meats for a _long_ time. Not sure when they started\*, but they were commonly sold in the early 60s (and still are). This is hardly anything new. OTOH, what the better brands sell now is significantly better tasting than the Buddig stuff. - Their history web page is virtually 0 content.