[andrew_plamondon]

Try to get products that have less ingredients. Whole cuts are what you're looking for. They're pricier though.

Whole cuts are exactly what they sound like — a section of meat or poultry that has been cooked, possibly flavored with salt, spices or sugars that is then sliced, typically the more expensive type of cold cuts.

Sectioned and formed meat products are restructured meat products, such as multi-part turkey breasts or cooked hams. They are prepared from chunks or pieces of meat and are bonded together to form a single piece. The substances that bind these together are non-meat additives, meat emulsions and extracted myofibrillar proteins.

Processed meats (sausages) are the majority of what we call cold cuts. About 15% of all meat produced in the U.S. is used to make these which number over 200 varieties. Sausage manufacturing includes any type of meat that is chopped, seasoned and formed into a symmetrical shape, for example, bologna. There are two methods for preparing the ingredients: emulsion, where the meat is finely chopped and the hydrophobic proteins react with fat, the opposite protein, and the hydrophilic react with water to hold fat in the solution (bologna, Vienna sausages, hot dogs) and non emulsion, which is typically for coarser grinds.

The 5 things you need to know about ... deli meats - Before You Bite with Phil Lempert - MSNBC.com