The Best Non-Toxic Deli Meat & Cold Cuts Packaging of 2026

We scored 15 deli meat & cold cuts packaging for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them safest first. The top pick is Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit at 70/100. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.
60% of the 15 deli meat & cold cuts packaging we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
PFAS Authority, September 2026. Free to cite with a link. See the full dataset.

The safest PFAS-free deli meat & cold cuts packaging we have scored

  1. 1
    Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit

    Oscar Mayer

    Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit

    plastic film wrapper; likely PE or PP film

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade56Good
    ⛏️

    Plastic film leaching under heating

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Pathogenic bacterial growth if seal compromised

    Moderate concern

    45

    Lower concern for food item, but packaging PFAS risk is modest and not ruled out.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  2. 2
    Boar's Head Charcuterie & Cheese Tray

    Boar's Head

    Charcuterie & Cheese Tray

    food (charcuterie, cheese); cardboard/plastic tray substrate

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade52Good
    🫧

    Microplastics

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Mold or bacterial growth on packaging (if dampness occurs)

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Chemical preservatives in the meat itself (not packaging)

    Moderate concern

    45

    Low concern for PFAS in the food itself, though tray coating unknown.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  3. 3
    Boar's Head Charcuterie & Cheese

    Boar's Head

    Charcuterie & Cheese

    plastic film (vacuum-sealed package)

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade52Good
    ♾️

    PFAS

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Listeria and bacterial contamination

    Moderate concern

    45
    ⚠️

    Sodium nitrite residues in meat (food additive, not material)

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern for the product, but packaging coating PFAS content unverified.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  4. 4
    Boar's Head Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

    Boar's Head

    Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

    Sliced turkey meat in plastic/paper composite packaging

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade42Poor
    ♾️

    PFAS

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Sodium nitrite (curing agent)

    Moderate concern

    45
    🫧

    Microplastics

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Sodium content / preserved-meat toxins

    Moderate concern

    45

    Lower concern for PFAS, primary risk comes from packaging film only.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  5. 5
    Applegate Organic Roasted Turkey Breast

    Applegate

    Organic Roasted Turkey Breast

    deli meat in plastic/paper composite packaging

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade48Poor
    ⚠️

    Sodium content and processed-meat health risk

    Moderate concern

    45
    ♾️

    PFAS

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Naturally occurring nitrates from celery juice

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Allergen cross-contamination in shared facility

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern for the product, packaging PFAS risk remains unclear.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  6. 6
    Hormel Gatherings Hard Salami & Pepperoni Party Tray

    Hormel

    Gatherings Hard Salami & Pepperoni Party Tray

    food (meat/pepperoni), plastic/paperboard tray

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade52Good
    ♾️

    PFAS

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Nitrites/nitrates in cured meat

    Moderate concern

    45
    ⚠️

    Bacterial growth or mold if seal is compromised

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern for direct food PFAS, modest risk if tray has grease barrier.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy

Every deli meat & cold cuts packaging that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. Higher is safer.

#Deli Meat & Cold Cuts PackagingScoreRatingMade of
1Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit70Goodplastic film wrapper; likely PE or PP film
2Boar's Head Boar's Head Charcuterie & Cheese Tray70Goodfood (charcuterie, cheese); cardboard/plastic tray substrate
3Boar's Head Boar's Head Charcuterie & Cheese70Goodplastic film (vacuum-sealed package)
4Boar's Head Boar's Head Oven Roasted Turkey Breast70GoodSliced turkey meat in plastic/paper composite packaging
5Applegate Applegate Organic Roasted Turkey Breast70Gooddeli meat in plastic/paper composite packaging
6Hormel Hormel Gatherings Hard Salami & Pepperoni Party Tray70Goodfood (meat/pepperoni), plastic/paperboard tray

The deli meat & cold cuts packaging we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.

Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Oscar Mayer

Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Plastic film packaging with grease-resistant barrier coating

PFAS Grade25Poor
Overall Grade0Bad
♾️

PFAS

High concern

20
⚠️

Sodium nitrite and nitrates (meat preservative)

Moderate concern

45
🍼

BPA & bisphenols

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Bacterial contamination from packaging damage

Limited concern

70

Avoid or contact Oscar Mayer; grease-resistant deli packaging historically used PFAS without disclosure.

⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment

Why this gradeSafer picks →
Applegate Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Applegate

Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Plastic film package with grease-resistant coating (likely food contact surface)

PFAS Grade25Poor
Overall Grade0Bad
♾️

PFAS

Limited concern

70
🍳

Unidentified food contact coating leachables

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Sodium content (product formulation, not packaging)

Moderate concern

45
⚠️

Processed meat classification (product formulation, not packaging)

Moderate concern

45

Skip or call Applegate to learn about coating chemistry and PFAS.

⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment

Why this gradeSafer picks →
Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham

Applegate

Uncured Black Forest Ham

plastic film/paperboard packaging with grease-resistant coating

PFAS Grade25Poor
Overall Grade3Bad
♾️

PFAS

High concern

20
⚠️

Packaging migration into fatty food matrix

Limited concern

70

Skip or contact brand, deli packaging often contains fluorinated grease barriers.

⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment

Why this gradeSafer picks →

What we check on deli meat & cold cuts packaging

  • Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
  • Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
  • Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
  • Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The deli meat & cold cuts packaging brands that will not say

4 of the brands here publish nothing about PFAS at all. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Applegate, Boar's Head, Hormel, Oscar Mayer.

Common questions about PFAS-free deli meat & cold cuts packaging

Is deli meat & cold cuts packaging PFAS free?

Mostly not. Of the 15 deli meat & cold cuts packaging we have scored, 60% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 6 that pass. The highest scoring is Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit at 70 out of 100. The lowest is Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast at 25.

What is the safest deli meat & cold cuts packaging you have scored?

Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham & Turkey Sub Kit, at 70 out of 100, which we band as Good. It is plastic film wrapper; likely pe or pp film. The runner up is Boar's Head Boar's Head Charcuterie & Cheese Tray at 70.

Which deli meat & cold cuts packaging should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast at 25, Applegate Applegate Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast at 25, Applegate Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham at 25. The problem with the first is that avoid or contact Oscar Mayer; grease-resistant deli packaging historically used PFAS without disclosure.

Which deli meat & cold cuts packaging brands will not say whether they use PFAS?

4 of the brands we scored in this category publish nothing about PFAS at all, including Applegate, Boar's Head, Hormel, Oscar Mayer. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test deli meat & cold cuts packaging?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

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Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 deli meat & cold cuts packaging.