Is Deli Meat Bad for You?

The main risk the CDC describes is Listeria. It says deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs and fermented or dry sausages can be contaminated with Listeria, because even though cooking, fermenting or drying kills germs, these meats can become contaminated later by touching surfaces in the production facility, and that refrigeration does not kill Listeria but reheating before eating will.

The CDC says more than half of Listeria infections occur among people 65 and older, that older adults with the infection almost always have to be hospitalized and 1 in 6 die, and that people with a weakened immune system make up 75 percent of all people with Listeria infection. It advises people aged 65 or older or with a weakened immune system to avoid deli meat or reheat it to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot.

The CDC investigated a Listeria outbreak linked to meats sliced at delis, beginning in July 2024, with 61 cases, 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths in 19 states. A recall was issued, and the CDC says the outbreak is over. Separately, IARC classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence that eating it causes colorectal cancer.

Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.

The sources behind this answer

  • Government sourceThe CDC says deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs and fermented or dry sausages can be contaminated with Listeria after processing, and that refrigeration does not kill Listeria but reheating before eating will. CDC ↗
  • Government sourceThe CDC says more than half of Listeria infections occur among people 65 and older, and that older adults with the infection almost always have to be hospitalized, with 1 in 6 dying. CDC ↗
  • Government sourceThe CDC says people with a weakened immune system are the group most likely to get a Listeria infection and make up 75 percent of all people with Listeria infection. CDC ↗
  • RecallThe CDC’s notice on a Listeria outbreak linked to meats sliced at delis, investigated from July 19, 2024, reports 61 cases, 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths in 19 states, says a recall was issued, and says the outbreak is over. CDC ↗
  • Government sourceThe CDC says people aged 65 or older or with a weakened immune system should avoid deli meat or reheat it to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. CDC ↗
  • Government sourceIn October 2015 IARC classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer. International Agency for Research on Cancer ↗

Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.

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