Is Deli Meat Bad for Gout? Turkey, Ham, Salami and Hot Dogs
Most deli meats are high in purines, and new USDA tests put deli turkey and salami in the very high band. Per-serving numbers, sodium and better lunches.
TL;DR
- Most deli meats are high in purines. USDA’s 2024 tests put deli turkey (about 235 mg per 100 g) and dry salami (about 215) in the Very high band.
- The old idea that processing lowers purines doesn’t hold up: US deli meats measure at or above the raw meats they come from.
- Two ounces now and then is fine for most people. A daily deli habit, stacked sandwiches and the sodium are where it adds up.
Deli meat isn’t forbidden with gout, but it’s not the low-purine shortcut it’s often assumed to be. Most lunch meats are high in purines, and recent US lab tests put deli turkey and salami in the very high band, above many raw meats.
That changes a lot of standard advice, including the idea that a turkey sandwich is automatically the safe lunch. Here’s what the numbers say and how to build a better one.
How many purines are in deli meats?
The most recent figures come from USDA’s 2024 analyses of US retail products, published in the USDA and NIH purine database in 2025. Sodium is from USDA FoodData Central.
| Deli meat | Purines (mg/100 g) | Band | Serving | Purines per serving | Sodium per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deli turkey | 235 | Very high | 2 oz (56 g) | ~130 mg | ~503 mg |
| Salami | 215 (range 120–245) | Very high | 1 oz (28 g) | ~60 mg | ~492 mg |
| Ham, deli or cured | 160 (range 70–250) | High | 2 oz (56 g) | ~90 mg | ~529 mg |
| Prosciutto | 140 | High | 1 oz (28 g) | ~39 mg | — |
| Deli roast beef * | ~120 | High | 2 oz (56 g) | ~67 mg | ~478 mg |
| Hot dog (beef frank) | 115 (range 50–170) | High | 1 frank (49 g) | ~56 mg | ~424 mg |
| Spam * | ~90 | Moderate | 2 oz (56 g) | ~50 mg | ~790 mg |
| Bologna * | ~85 | Moderate | 2 oz (56 g) | ~48 mg | ~538 mg |
| Pepperoni * | not measured | likely High to Very high | 1 oz (28 g) | — | ~443 mg |
* Not in the USDA and NIH purine database. Roast beef, Spam and bologna use the values from older purine tables and should be read as estimates. For pepperoni, the closest measured product is dry salami, at about 215 mg per 100 g.
Where the table shows a range, labs found quite different numbers for the same food. For ham, a Japanese analysis of pressed ham found about 70 mg per 100 g, while USDA’s US ready-to-eat ham measured about 250. For hot dogs, USDA’s mixed-meat franks measured about 170 and a Japanese sample about 50. The US products USDA tested sit at the high end.
Doesn’t processing lower purines?
No, and it’s worth saying plainly, because the opposite claim is everywhere. Older purine tables put deli meats at around 80 to 105 mg per 100 g, and many gout guides still say processing lowers purines. USDA’s new lab data reverse that:
- Deli turkey measured about 235 mg per 100 g. Raw ground turkey measured about 95.
- Ready-to-eat deli ham measured about 250. Raw pork cuts across the database have a median of about 115.
- Dry salami measured about 215, and genoa salami about 246.
A likely reason is concentration. Deli meats are fully cooked, and salami is dried as well, so each gram holds less water and more of the lean muscle where purines sit. USDA saw the same effect in fresh meat: its raw chicken breast measured 289 mg per 100 g and the same chicken cooked measured 369.
Heating doesn’t change things either way. USDA’s heated and unheated franks measured almost the same.
Which deli meats are lowest in purines?
There’s no low-purine deli meat, but there are differences:
- Ham has the lowest median of the sliced lunch meats USDA measured, though its range is wide. A few thin slices are a smaller hit than the same weight of turkey. For more, see is ham bad for gout.
- Hot dogs are in the High band, but a single frank is small. The problems are eating two or three, and what comes with them.
- Bologna and Spam show up around 85 to 90 in older tables, but USDA hasn’t tested either. The only database analysis of generic luncheon meat, from Canada in 1988, found about 58. Given how far above older figures the new US tests landed for turkey and ham, treat those numbers as uncertain rather than as a green light. Spam also has the most sodium on the list.
- Salami and pepperoni are usually eaten in small amounts, which helps. A slice of pepperoni weighs only about 2 g, so a pizza slice carries a few grams of it; see is pizza bad for gout.
- Liverwurst is made from liver, a different category. See is liver bad for gout.
For fresh and cured sausages, see is sausage bad for gout.
Is the sodium in deli meat a problem for gout?
Not for uric acid itself. In the DASH-Sodium feeding trial, 103 adults ate low, medium and high amounts of sodium for 30 days each. Moving from low to high sodium lowered serum uric acid slightly, by about 0.4 mg/dL.
Salt still matters, for other reasons. Gout often comes with high blood pressure and heart disease. Some blood pressure medicines raise uric acid, which is why the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) 2020 guideline suggests switching from hydrochlorothiazide to another medicine when feasible. That’s a decision for your doctor. The Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg, and a 2-ounce serving of most deli meats uses about a fifth to a third of it before the bread, cheese and pickle.
Does processed meat raise gout risk?
Processed meat is part of an eating pattern that has been linked to gout. In a study that followed 44,444 men for 26 years, those whose diets most resembled a Western pattern (red and processed meats, fries, refined grains, sweets and desserts) had a 42% higher risk of gout than those who ate least that way. A DASH-style pattern, with more vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy and whole grains and less red and processed meat, was linked to a 32% lower risk.
That study measured whole patterns, not deli meat alone. But a daily deli sandwich is often a big part of what makes a diet Western, and it’s one of the easier habits to change.
How to eat deli meat with gout
The ACR’s 2020 guideline conditionally recommends limiting purine intake, without a daily number. In practice:
- Two ounces, not a stack. Deli counters and sub shops often pile on far more.
- Not every day. Save it for a few lunches a week at most.
- Build the rest of the sandwich from low-purine foods: cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and avocado.
- Watch the sides. Chips and a regular soda add salt and fructose; water and fruit are better.
If you want to see whether deli lunches line up with your flares, log them. An app like Urica can scan a sandwich and track it against your symptoms.
What are lower-purine alternatives to deli meat?
These swaps are genuinely lower in purines, not just lower in fat:
| Instead of | Try | Purines per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Deli turkey, 2 oz (~130 mg) | 2 hard-boiled eggs, as egg salad | under 3 mg |
| Salami, 1 oz (~60 mg) | Cheddar or Swiss, 1 oz | ~3 mg |
| Ham and cheese | Hummus with cucumber and peppers | Low (cooked chickpeas measure ~10 mg/100 g) |
| Any deli meat | Firm tofu, 3 oz, sliced and seasoned | ~21 mg |
| A daily turkey sub | Peanut butter, 2 tbsp | ~16 mg |
Peanut butter is estimated from raw peanuts, about 50 mg per 100 g.
Home-roasted chicken breast isn’t a big improvement: cooked chicken breast measures about 185 mg per 100 g in the purine database (analyses range from about 180 to 370), between deli ham and deli turkey.
The Bottom Line
Deli meat is a high-purine food, and the newest US lab data show deli turkey, ham and salami at or above the raw meats they’re made from. The idea that processing lowers purines doesn’t hold. Keep portions to about 2 ounces, don’t make deli meat a daily habit, and watch the sodium for your blood pressure. For a genuinely low-purine lunch, reach for eggs, cheese, hummus, tofu or peanut butter instead.
Sources
- USDA and ODS-NIH. Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2 (2025).
- USDA FoodData Central. Turkey breast, sliced, prepackaged.
- Rai SK, et al. The DASH diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 2017.
- Juraschek SP, et al. Effects of the DASH diet and sodium intake on serum uric acid. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2016.
- FitzGerald JD, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 2020.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.
Track Your Personal Response
Everyone responds differently to foods. Urica helps you track how specific foods affect YOUR flare patterns by analyzing purines, fructose, and glycemic load together — not just purines alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is deli turkey OK for gout?
It's higher in purines than most people expect. USDA's 2024 analysis of ready-to-eat turkey lunch meat found about 235 mg per 100 g, in the Very high band and well above raw ground turkey (about 95). Two ounces carries roughly 130 mg plus about 500 mg of sodium. An occasional sandwich is fine for most people, but deli turkey isn't the automatic safe choice it's often made out to be.
Does processing lower the purines in meat?
The current data say no. Older purine tables put deli meats at around 80 to 105 mg per 100 g, and a common claim is that processing lowers purines. USDA's 2024 lab tests of US products found the opposite: about 250 mg per 100 g for ready-to-eat ham, 235 for deli turkey and 215 for dry salami, at or above the raw meats they're made from. Cooking and drying concentrate purines per gram.
Are hot dogs bad for gout?
They're in the High band, at about 115 mg of purines per 100 g (analyses range from about 50 to 170). One 49 g beef frank carries roughly 56 mg, which is less than a stacked deli sandwich. Two hot dogs, a beer and a salty side add up quickly, though, and each frank has about 420 mg of sodium. Heating makes little difference to the purine content.
What is the best lunch meat for gout?
No deli meat is truly low in purines. Of the sliced lunch meats USDA tested, ham averages lower than turkey or salami, but its range is wide. Bologna and Spam are listed at about 85 to 90 mg per 100 g in older tables, but USDA hasn't tested them, and they carry the most sodium. The lowest-purine sandwich fillings aren't meats at all: eggs, cheese, hummus, tofu or peanut butter.