Hormel: the label is clear, the processed meat research is not

We found no study of Hormel products by name, so this page uses the USDA records for eight Hormel products and the research on processed meat in general. The strongest evidence here is about habits. A meta-analysis of 41 randomized trials in about 87,000 people found that programs aimed at cutting red and processed meat shifted intake only modestly, a standardized mean difference of 0.25 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.38). The labels are easier to read. In USDA SR Legacy, sodium across Hormel products runs from 358 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) in fresh pork loin to 1858 mg in sliced turkey pepperoni, and these brand records may predate later recipe changes. One 3 oz (84 g) serving of Cure 81 ham gives about 872 mg sodium, close to 38 percent of the 2300 mg Daily Value, worked out from the per 3.5 oz (100 g) record. WHO's cancer agency classifies processed meat, cured ham included, as Group 1 because eating it causes colorectal cancer. That rating describes how sure the evidence is. The size of the risk comes from other studies.

How much is actually in it

• Across 8 HORMEL products in USDA SR Legacy, sodium runs from 358 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) in fresh pork loin to 1038 mg in Cure 81 ham and 1858 mg in sliced turkey pepperoni. — 8 HORMEL branded products, USDA SR Legacy records (n = 8 records) Evidence E source
  Sodium 358 to 1858 mg/100 g, protein 16.88 to 30.99 g/100 g

What a real portion looks like

• One 84 g USDA serving of HORMEL Cure 81 ham gives about 89 calories, 15.5 g protein and 872 mg sodium, close to 38% of the 2300 mg Daily Value. — USDA serving sizes for HORMEL branded records (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Ham 84 g: 89 calories, 15.5 g protein, 872 mg sodium; turkey pepperoni 30 g: 73 calories, 557 mg sodium

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover metabolic study of 14 women aged 51 to 70, a high-meat diet with ham, beef, chicken and tuna eaten for 7 weeks raised zinc absorption and retention compared with a low-meat diet. — 14 postmenopausal women aged 51-70 y, each diet 7 wk in random order (n = 14) Evidence B source
  Higher zinc absorption and retention on the high-meat diet, lower ferritin; size not given in the abstract

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA table for cured Pork Products, broiling keeps 90% of sodium but only 70% of thiamin and 65% of vitamin B6, while reheating keeps 95 to 100%. — USDA retention factors for the cured pork group, not Hormel by name (n = 2 methods) Evidence E source
  Broiled: sodium 90%, thiamin 70%, B6 65%, zinc 100%; reheated: sodium 100%, thiamin 95%, B6 95%

What it does to your health

• In a 12-week randomized trial in 113 healthy adults, a meat-based diet raised fecal water genotoxicity by 15.97% DNA damage, with no significant change on a pesco-vegetarian diet. — 113 healthy adults aged 18-50, 12 weeks, free-living (n = 113) Evidence B source
  +15.97% DNA damage (95% CI 4.61 to 27.32) after the meat-based diet
• Cohort data link one extra daily serving of processed meat with about 0.57 lb (0.26 kg) more weight gain per year in adults, on low certainty evidence. — 3 cohort studies, 381,291 adults (n = 381291) Evidence C source
  +0.26 kg/y per daily serving (95% CI 0.03 to 0.48), waist +0.14 cm/y
• Observational data link higher processed meat intake with 65% higher risk of colorectal polyps, but not with a clear rise in colorectal adenomas. — 31 observational studies up to December 2024 (n = 31 studies) Evidence C source
  Polyps RR 1.65 (1.05 to 2.61), adenomas RR 1.14 (0.93 to 1.41)

Safety, limits and interactions

• An umbrella review of 54 meta-analyses linked each extra 50 g a day of processed meat with 17% higher colorectal cancer risk and 72% higher gastric cancer risk, on low to very low certainty evidence. — 34 reviews, 54 meta-analyses of observational studies up to May 2025 (n = 54 meta-analyses) Evidence C source
  Per 50 g/day: colorectal cancer +17%, gastric cancer +72%, prostate +4%, COPD +8%
• WHO's cancer agency classifies processed meat, which includes cured ham, as Group 1 carcinogenic to humans because eating it causes colorectal cancer, and its data did not allow a conclusion on whether a safe level exists. — WHO Q&A on IARC Monograph evaluation of red and processed meat Evidence E source
  Group 1, colorectal cancer, no conclusion on a safe level

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a 5-week double-blind randomized trial, cooked ham and turkey breast reformulated without additives lowered nitrate excretion and differed from standard products in TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, while consumers in a survey saw additive-free products as less harmful. — adults in a 5-week double-blind randomized trial plus a consumer survey (n = not stated in abstract) Evidence B source
  Between-group differences in TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, reduced nitrate excretion; no difference in ox-LDL and GPx
• The EU register lists no authorized health claim for ham, and the one ham claim it assessed, that a branded ham lowers LDL cholesterol or blood pressure, was not authorized. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, 45 entries matching ham, 0 authorized Evidence E source
  0 authorized, claim POL-HC-14785 non-authorized

What is still unknown

• A meta-analysis of 41 randomized studies in about 87,000 people found that efforts to cut red and processed meat changed intake only modestly, with a standardized mean difference of 0.25. — 35 papers, 41 RCTs, about 87,000 subjects (n = 87000) Evidence A source
  Red and processed meat only: SMD 0.25 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.38); all animal products: SMD 0.07
• A 2026 umbrella review rated most processed meat outcomes as low or very low certainty and called for better prospective studies and randomized trials. — 34 reviews, 54 meta-analyses (n = 54 meta-analyses) Evidence C source
  Most outcomes GRADE low or very low

The bottom line

Those studies are observational. An umbrella review of 54 meta-analyses linked each extra 50 g a day of processed meat with 17 percent higher colorectal cancer risk and 72 percent higher gastric cancer risk, and rated that evidence low to very low certainty. WHO's cancer agency said its data did not allow a conclusion on whether a safe level exists. Cohort data in 381,291 adults link one extra daily serving of processed meat with 0.57 lb (0.26 kg) more weight gain a year (95% CI 0.03 to 0.48), a low certainty finding with strong disagreement between the studies. In a 12-week randomized trial in 113 healthy adults, a meat-based diet raised a lab marker of DNA damage in stool water by 15.97 percent (95% CI 4.61 to 27.32). That is a biomarker, and the diet was meat in general. So the cautions on this page are the cancer findings above and the sodium. If you count sodium, the pepperoni at 557 mg per 30 g serving and the cured ham are the Hormel lines to count first. "Additive-free" ham is a newer selling point. In a 5-week double-blind randomized trial, cooked ham and turkey breast made without additives lowered nitrate excretion and differed from standard products in two inflammation markers, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, with no difference in ox-LDL or GPx. The abstract does not give the number of people, and these are blood and urine markers. A survey in the same paper found that consumers already see additive-free products as less harmful. The EU lists no authorized health claim for ham, and the one ham claim it assessed, that Joselito ham lowers LDL cholesterol or blood pressure, was not authorized. Cooking changes some vitamins. By the USDA retention table for cured pork as a group, broiling keeps 90 percent of sodium, 70 percent of thiamin and 65 percent of vitamin B6, while reheating keeps 95 to 100 percent. Those factors date from 1975 and apply to the group, not to Hormel. For zinc, one small study points the other way. In a crossover study in 14 women aged 51 to 70, a high-meat diet with ham as one of four meats raised zinc absorption and retention over 7 weeks, and the abstract gives no size. Most processed meat outcomes are still rated low or very low certainty, and the 2026 umbrella review asked for better prospective studies and randomized trials.

Sources

1. hrml-r1-01 · reference dataset
   FDC 167909 HORMEL, Cure 81 Ham: Sodium 1038 mg/100 g, Protein 18.43 g, Energy 106 kcal · FDC 167911 HORMEL Canadian Style Bacon: Sodium 1016 mg, Protein 16.88 g · FDC 174593 Hormel Pillow Pak Sliced Turkey Pepperoni: Sodium 1858 mg, Protein 30.99 g, Energy 243 kcal · FDC 168320 HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER, Boneless Pork Loin, Fresh Pork: Sodium 358 mg, Protein 19.02 g · FDC 167910 Teriyaki-Flavored Pork Tenderloin: Sodium 413 mg
   USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01 · checked 2026-10-02
2. hrml-r1-02 · reference dataset
   FDC 167909 HORMEL, Cure 81 Ham: portion 1 serving 84 g, Sodium 1038 mg/100 g, Energy 106 kcal/100 g, Protein 18.43 g/100 g · FDC 174593 Hormel Pillow Pak Sliced Turkey Pepperoni: portion 1 serving 30 g, Sodium 1858 mg/100 g, Energy 243 kcal/100 g
   USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, published 2019-04-01 · checked 2026-10-02
3. hrml-r1-04 · randomized crossover trial
   The women ate each of the three diets for 7 wk in random order. Lean beef, chicken, ham, and tuna in the HM diet replaced foods with a low mineral content in the LM diet. ... Compared with the other diets, the HM diet increased zinc absorption and retention, and slightly increased urinary zinc.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1995 · checked 2026-10-02
4. hrml-r1-03 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:1451 PORK,CURED,BROILED, group Pork Products: sodium_mg 90% retained, thiamin_mg 70%, vitamin_b6_mg 65%, zinc_mg 100%; USDA-RETN-R6:1606 PORK,CURED,REHEATED: sodium_mg 100% retained, thiamin_mg 95%, vitamin_b6_mg 95%, zinc_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Codes 1451 and 1606 · checked 2026-10-02
5. hrml-r1-05 · randomized controlled trial
   A total of 113 healthy adults (18-50 years) were randomized, and 103 completed the study. ... FW genotoxicity increased significantly after MBD (+ 15.97%DNA damage; 95% CI 4.61 to 27.32; p = 0.006), with no significant within-group changes in MBD-T or PVD.
   Sci Rep, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
6. hrml-r1-08 · systematic review and meta-analysis
   Three studies (n = 381 291) were included in the random-effects model of measured body weight, resulting in a summary increase of 0.26 kg/y per 1 daily serving of processed meat (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03-0.48; τ2: 0.03; I2: 92.95%).
   Nutr Rev, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
7. hrml-r1-09 · meta-analysis
   Processed meat consumption was correlated with increased colorectal polyp risk (1.65; 1.05, 2.61) but not colorectal adenoma risk (1.14; 0.93, 1.41).
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
8. hrml-r1-07 · umbrella review
   Dose-response analysis revealed that an increase in PM consumption of 50 g/day was associated with a 72% higher risk of gastric cancer, 17% higher risk of colorectal cancer, 4% higher risk of prostate cancer, and an 8% higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All the above dose-response associations are based on low to very low certainty evidence as assessed by the GRADE system.
   Front Public Health, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
9. hrml-r1-13 · agency hazard classification
   Processed meat has been classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. ... The evidence shows that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer. ... the data available for evaluation did not permit a conclusion at the time of the original assessment about whether a safe level exists.
   World Health Organization, Q&A Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat · checked 2026-10-02
10. hrml-r1-06 · randomized controlled trial
    The additive perception survey revealed that consumers associate additive-free products with being more natural and less harmful to health, with differences observed based on age, gender, and knowledge of additives. In the clinical trial, both the intervention and control groups showed significant decreases in serum levels of ox-LDL and GPx, with no differences between the groups. However, significant differences between the groups were found in inflammation markers TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in nitrate excretion and a decrease in nitrification-related gut bacteria.
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
11. hrml-r1-12 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-14785 Joselito® ham Consumption of Joselito® ham reduces blood LDL-cholesterol concentration or blood pressure -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-14785, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
12. hrml-r1-10 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    The pooled effect of all 112 interventions on MAP consumption is quite small (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.07 (95 % CI: [0.02, 0.12]), indicating an unsolved problem. Interventions aiming to reduce only consumption of red and processed meat were more effective (SMD = 0.25; 95 % CI: [0.11, 0.38]), but it remains unclear whether such interventions also decrease consumption of other forms of MAP.
    Appetite, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
13. hrml-r1-11 · umbrella review
    Most studies suggest that PM consumption is associated with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders, but the certainty of evidence for most outcomes is rated as low or very low by the GRADE system. ... Future research should include more well-designed prospective studies and randomized controlled trials to further explore the associations between PM consumption and various health outcomes.
    Front Public Health, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02