If You ve Ever Eaten A Slim Jim, You ll Probably Want To See This
Many animals are fed low doses of antibiotics throughout their lifespan to speed growth and prevent diseases. These non-essential uses promote antibiotic resistance, posing a serious risk to human health.
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Slim Jim Smoked Snack Stick, Original
Lower scores accompany better foods.
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Please note that EWG obtains the displayed images of products from third parties and that the product’s manufacturer or packager may change the product’s packaging at any point in time. Therefore, EWG assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of images presented.
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EWG Overall Score Breakdown
The product score is based on weighted scores for nutrition, ingredient and processing concerns. Generally, nutrition counts most, ingredient concerns next and degree of processing least. The weighted scores are added together to determine the final score. Read more about scores here.
EWG Overall Score Breakdown
EWG scored on three factors: nutrition, ingredient concerns, and the degree of processing. Read the full scoring methodology.
Lower concern
Higher concern
Lower concern
Higher concern
1
10N Nutrition Concern
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I Ingredient Concern
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P Processing Concern
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Nutrition Concern Details
Considers calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, sodium, protein, fiber and fruit, vegetable and nut content to differentiate between healthful and less healthful foods. For more information on nutrition concerns, read our full methodology.
Contains a high level of saturated fat [read more]
Contains 31% of the Institute of Medicine’s daily sodium (salt) recommendations based on adequate intake [read more]
Per gram, high in protein [read more]
This product contains added sugar ingredients: Corn Syrup and Dextrose [read more]
The nutrition factors used for scoring Slim Jim Smoked Snack Stick, Original
Positive factors
Fruit, vegetable, bean or nut content
Protein content
Fiber content
Omega-3 fatty acids
Negative factors
Calorie density
Sugar/low-calorie sweetener content
Sodium content
Saturated fat content
Trans fat contentIngredient Concern Details
Considers food additives, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and contaminants like mercury and BPA, which can affect human health and the environment. For more information on ingredient concerns, read methodology.
This product is not certified organic [read more]
Contains 1 of EWG’s top food additives of concern: Sodium Nitrite
Antibiotics were likely used in the production of this meat [read more]
Hormones and/or growth promoters were likely used in production of meat ingredients [read more]
Contains 1 ingredient(s) associated with cancer: Sodium Nitrite
- Sodium Nitrite
This additive is of higher concern in food. Learn why. - Natural Flavor
This additive is of lower concern in food. Learn why. - Paprika
This additive is of lower concern in food. Learn why.
Processing Concern Details
Estimates how much the food has been processed. Considers many factors, chief among them, modification of individual ingredients from whole foods and number of artificial ingredients. For more information on processing concerns, read our full methodology.
Product has been classified as having moderate processing concerns
Products with moderate and high processing concerns generally have more artificial ingredients, more ingredients that have been significantly modified from whole foods, and more ingredients overall.
EWG’s Top Findings
This product is not certified organic [read more]
This product is not certified organic
Products bearing the USDA certified organic seal must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredient, and must be produced without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and free of genetically engineered ingredients.
Contains food additives of higher concern
Contains 1 of EWG’s top food additives of concern: Sodium Nitrite
Antibiotics were likely used in the production of this meat [read more]
Antibiotics were likely used in the production .
Many animals are fed low doses of antibiotics throughout their lifespan to speed growth and prevent diseases. These non-essential uses promote antibiotic resistance, posing a serious risk to human health.
Hormones and/or growth promoters were likely used in production of meat ingredients [read more]
Hormones and/or growth promoters were likely us.
Hormone implants and artificial growth promoters are commonly used to speed the growth of meat animals. These practices are not allowed in Europe due to health concerns.
Contains the non-specific ingredient “flavor” [read more]
Contains the non-specific ingredient “flavor”
Added “flavors” are secret and often complex mixtures of chemicals that modify and manipulate the taste and smell of food. The lack of disclosure is a public right to know issue and especially concerning to people with unusual food allergies or on restricted diets.
Contains a high level of saturated fat [read more]
Contains a high level of saturated fat
Saturated fat is not an essential nutrient and with increasing intakes there is a increased risk of coronary heart disease (IOM 2005a; USDA and DHHS 2010). For this reason it has long been known as a “bad” fat that raises the “bad” cholesterol, LDL. Numerous authoritative bodies support the recommendation to limit saturated fat to 10 percent of calories — equivalent to a reasonable limit of 14 slices of bacon’s worth of saturated fat a day (WHO 2002; USDA and DHHS 2010). A 2012 review by the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent non-profit organization, found that reducing or replacing saturated fat with other healthy fats reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 14 percent (Hooper 2012). Other recent reviews have found that there in no evidence of a benefit from reducing saturated fat (Chowdhury 2014; Schwingshackl and Hoffmann 2014). While it’s clear that we still have a lot to learn about how fats behave and contribute to disease, the evidence supporting a moderate level of saturated fat consumption remains strong and consistent.
Contains 31% of the Institute of Medicine’s daily sodium (salt) recommendations based on adequate intake [read more]
Contains 31% of the Institute of Medicine’s dai.
This product contains a high percentage of the Institute of Medicine’s recommended adequate intake for sodium of 1500 mg a day (IOM 2005). This value is much lower than what the FDA requires be listed on food labels — 2400 mg. Americans average 3,400 mg of sodium a day. Most of this sodium comes from processed foods where sodium is added to mask the lack of freshness by enhancing the flavor, texture or palatability and extending shelf-life (IOM 2010). Many of these uses are for the manufacturers benefit and not the consumer’s health as excess sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease (IOM 2010).
Contains 1 ingredient(s) associated with cancer: Sodium Nitrite
Per gram, high in protein [read more]
Per gram, high in protein
Protein is a source of amino acids that are required for the proper growth, maintenance and repair of tissues. It also provides the building blocks for important enzymes and hormones. Protein provides calories and if eaten in excess will be stored as fat. Protein is found in high amounts in beans, nuts, eggs, seafood and meat. Protein is essential to health, but eating too much also carries an environmental and health cost. Learn more: http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/
This product contains added sugar ingredients: Corn Syrup and Dextrose [read more]
This product contains added sugar ingredients: .
Eating too much of any type of sugar can lead to tooth decay. Added sugars like high fructose corn syrup, honey, sugar and dextrose are more concerning than natural sugars like raisins because they can lead to obesity by adding calories without being accompanied by important nutrients like potassium, vitamin C or fiber. Americans average 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day (NCI 2010; USDA and DHHS 2010). The World Health Organization recommends no more than 6 to 12 teaspoons of added sugar a day for adults, children should eat even less (WHO 2002; WHO 2014).
Product has been classified as having moderate processing concerns
If You’ve Ever Eaten A Slim Jim, You’ll Probably Want To See This
Slim Jims are a convenience store staple: four-inch (or more) sticks of processed meat manufactured and sold by major food conglomerate ConAgra. Since they were first invented by a man named Adolph Levis in 1928, they’ve undergone a lot of formula changes. The current formula was devised by Lon Adams, who worked for then-parent company Goodmark, in 1982. These things are a wonder of science, but they’re also about as processed as it gets. So how exactly are they made?
A 2014 Wired video puts the ingredient listing into layman’s terms. It starts with beef (most likely the lower grades from the oldest cows, called utility, cutter, and canner). It’s ground and mixed with mechanically separated chicken, which is the chicken equivalent of “pink slime” (even though the production process is different), essentially puréed chicken bones, nerves, blood vessels, skin, and a small amount of meat.
Sugar, spices, additional flavorings, and a whole lot of salt are then added, along with corn and wheat protein (for texture), and hydrolyzed gluten (which gives it an MSG-like savoriness). Traditional sausage-making ingredients lactic acid starter culture (which keeps the pH balance down) and sodium nitrite are then added, and the slurry is piped into a casing and fermented until it’s ready to eat. Much of this process isn’t so different from how any cured sausage is made.
The red-brown color is artificial
Despite consisting of mostly beef and the chicken processing byproduct known as “pink slime,” Slim Jim doesn’t take its coloring from meat, per Wired. In fact, these meat sticks would be gray if it weren’t for one ingredient: sodium nitrate. It’s included in Slim Jims to fight the spread of botulism in the smoked meat sticks, but it pulls double duty by adding a more pleasing hue as well.
According to Healthline, sodium nitrate is a type of salt that occurs naturally in many plants and vegetables. It’s considered a regular part of human diets, though there are some risks associated with eating too much of it. (Citing a 2012 review published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, The Honest Company claims that research has shown these risks to be minimal.)
So, why does this salt turn meat from gray to red? Moment of Science says that processed meat typically turns gray because its color comes from oxygen reacting with myoglobin cells in the blood. Through processing, those cells are separated, but nitrates are able to bond with the myoglobin and take oxygen’s place to create the red color more often associated with well prepared meat. Inverse says this is the same chemical swap that helps hot dogs keep their color as well. It’s worth noting that sodium nitrate also makes up less than 2% of Slim Jim’s ingredients (per the Environmental Working Group).
Is a Slim Jim considered a healthy snack?
The Image Party/Shutterstock
Slim Jims had their start as bar food, but they’ve become a ubiquitous snack in convenience stores across the United States. But are they good for you?
As with any other dietary choice, the potential nutritional benefits of Slim Jims will depend on what your needs are. New Health Advisor notes that while the meat sticks contain fat, protein, calories, and iron, there are little other vitamins or nutrients present in significant numbers in a single stick. However, these nutrients do make Slim Jims a solid snack for anyone following a keto diet. (Per The National Institute of Health, a keto diet includes high levels of fat, moderate levels of protein, and low levels of carbohydrates.) According to the Environmental Working Group, one Slim Jim stick contains 130 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of carbohydrates.
It should be noted that Slim Jims are high in sodium, though. As Wired notes, they contain about one-sixth of the daily recommended amount of sodium for most adults.
