A Malaga cardiologist has warned consumers to pay closer attention to the processed meats they buy from supermarkets.
Dr Aurelio Rojas, who regularly shares heart-health advice with thousands of followers on social media, has highlighted products including jamon, bacon, chorizo, salami and sausages.
In a recent video, Rojas offered a five-point guide for choosing processed meat, while stressing that even products with seemingly better ingredients should still only be eaten in moderation.
‘Jamon serrano, bacon, chorizo, sausages, salami and fuet are still processed meat even if they have good ingredients or don’t contain added nitrites,’ he said.
‘The key continues to be frequency and quantity.’
What counts as processed meat?
Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through techniques such as curing, salting, fermentation or smoking to improve its preservation or alter its flavour.
That means some of Spain’s most familiar foods, including jamon and chorizo, fall into the category alongside bacon, salami and many sausages.
Concern over these foods is not new.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation, classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, concluding there was sufficient evidence that its consumption causes colorectal cancer.
However, that classification is frequently misunderstood. Being placed in IARC’s Group 1 means the evidence that processed meat can cause cancer is strong; it does not mean eating processed meat carries the same level of risk as other Group 1 carcinogens such as smoking.
Rojas also warns that processed meats can contribute to cardiovascular risk, particularly when they form a regular part of someone’s diet.
What should you look for in the supermarket?
Rojas recommends first checking how much actual meat a product contains.
‘The more meat, the better,’ he advises, suggesting shoppers look for products containing more than 90-95% meat and with relatively short ingredient lists.
Next are preservatives. Where consumers have a choice, Rojas recommends prioritising products without added nitrites or nitrates, which can appear on European ingredient labels as E-249, E-250, E-251 and E-252.
He stresses, however, that their absence does not suddenly make processed meat ‘healthy’.
Salt is another important consideration.
Rojas advises comparing similar products and selecting the one containing less salt, noting that more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is considered a high salt content.
He also recommends avoiding unnecessary ingredients such as added sugars, starches and products with particularly long lists of additives.
What should you eat instead?
For regular consumption, Rojas recommends prioritising fresh meat, chicken or turkey, fish, eggs and legumes rather than relying heavily on processed meat.
And consumers shouldn’t assume traditional Spanish products receive a free pass.
Jamon serrano and chorizo remain processed meats regardless of whether they contain particularly high-quality meat or avoid certain additives.
Rojas’s central message is therefore not necessarily that people must completely eliminate these foods, but that they should regard them as something to consume occasionally rather than as an everyday staple.
The overall quality of someone’s diet also matters. Cardiovascular health cannot be reduced to whether someone eats one particular food, but is influenced by their broader dietary pattern, quantities consumed and lifestyle.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
