McLean Meats - Organic Deli Meat

Organic Deli Meats for the ones you love

McLean Meats specializes in organic deli meats that are all nitrite/nitrate free; offerings include nitrite free ham, beef and turkey sandwich meat, and organic bacon, salamis & sausages. We are committed to producing the healthiest deli meat for you and the ones you love. It’s why we were the first company in Canada to create truly preservative free deli meats with no sodium nitrite or nitrites from celery extracts.

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Products that are truly clean

McLean Meats - nitrite/nitrate free deli meats

No Nitrites

McLean Meats - celery extracts free deli meats

No Celery Extracts

McLean Meats - antibiotic free deli meats

No Antibiotics

McLean Meats - gluten free deli meats

No Gluten

One of the most misunderstood ingredients in “natural” deli meats are celery extracts which are added to replace chemical nitrites. McLean’s meats are free of celery extracts because they are biochemically identical to sodium nitrite. Our lunch meats are truly preservative free, and free of allergens like gluten, soy and dairy. Most of our deli meats are also certified organic and sugar free. All of our animals are humanely raised without antibiotics.

Featured Products

Turkey Bacon

Our best seller overall is our “clean & lean” Turkey Bacon. The ingredients are simple: turkey, honey, sea salt and smoke. One slice of Turkey bacon is only 40 calories with only 1.5g of total fat. Less than 1g (0.5) is saturated and it packs in 5g of protein per slice. It’s delicious and versatile. Check out our Turkey Bacon Carbonara recipe here.

Organic Bacon

(Sugar Free)

Our Old Fashioned and Black Pepper Organic nitrate free bacon is the ideal meat protein for diets and lifestyles such as the Ketogenic diet, Low-carb diet, Paleo diet and the Whole 30 diet. It is the “cleanest” bacon available in Canada made with organic pork, with no nitrites from celery extracts and no added sugar. Contact us to find a store near you.

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McLean’s preservative free deli roasts, like our famous Roast Beef, Tuscany Turkey and nitrate free Ham are sold at the deli counter at Sobey’s, Safeway and Thrifty Foods stores across Canada. Our retail sliced deli meats are found in the meat department section of natural food stores like Nature’s Fare, Nature’s Emporium, Planet Organic, Blush Lane, Whole Foods, Longo’s, Organic Garage and Metro stores.

If you have questions or need to find a store near you that sells McLean Meats’ healthy deli meats, please contact us directly here.

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Most of us know that traditional deli products like ham, bacon, and sandwich meats contain the preservative sodium nitrite or nitrate. And most of us have learned that these chemicals do not promote health but are associated with an increased cancer risk when used to cure processed meats.

There’s a trend in the food industry to brand deli meats with the claim “Natural”, but they still contain nitrites in the form of celery. These claims are misleading because nitrites taken from celery (celery extract, celery juice, celery powder) produce the same N-nitroso compounds in the meat as Sodium Nitrite.

A CBC Marketplace investigation revealed that food companies labelling of products can be misleading claiming “no added preservatives,” or “no added nitrites”, when in fact cultured celery extract is added. Marketplace tested the products that contain celery extract in a lab and discovered that the natural-sounding extract is actually a nitrite. “For all intents and purposes celery extract is bio-chemically identical to Sodium Nitrite. ” said nutrition expert Dr. Yoni Freedhoff.

In addition to celery extracts containing nitrites, celery is increasingly becoming a more common allergen. Serious allergic reactions to celery happen most often after ingestion of raw celery but can also occur from foods containing processed celery roots, powder and juice. Celery is used as a cheap spicing ingredient in many processed foods such as spice mixtures, soups, broths and salad dressings. Allergy to celery is associated with allergies to birch pollen and mugwort pollen.

The word “natural” has been used in the food business for a long time, but its meaning is very vague. In general, “natural” food is thought to be free of synthetic chemicals, hormones, and other additives and preservatives. Technically a truly natural food would be one that is found in nature, like a carrot, and hasn’t been processed or altered in any way. Currently, the term “natural” has no legal definition, so food companies can use it however they want.

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McLean Meats produces the healthiest deli meats in Canada, including organic bacon and nitrate free Ham. All McLean products are truly preservative free. We do not use celery nitrates/nitrites or sodium nitrites/nitrates in any of our deli meats.

Our mission at McLean Meats is to produce clean food products that nourish the body while supporting natural, humane and sustainable farming.

You can help us expand our reach throughout Canada by asking your local favourite grocery store to carry the cleanest, healthiest deli meats in Canada.

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McLean Meats - Organic Deli Meat