Quite simply, it's all a matter of how the meats are preserved: Cured meats use chemicals and additives while uncured meats rely on natural salts and flavorings. Cured meats have nitrates. Uncured don't. ... Because nitrites are not added, the meats are considered by the USDA to be uncured.

Are uncured meats safe to eat?

Regularly eating even small amounts of cold cuts, including 'uncured' products, increases cancer and heart disease risk. ... That's because all cold cuts are processed meats, like bacon and hot dogs. Regularly eating them—even in amounts less than what you probably put in a sandwich—clearly increases the risk of cancer.

Which is better cured or uncured meat?

So, as you can see, uncured meats aren't 'better' than cured meats in any way. If you are wary about chemical additives in your food, you might feel more comfortable with uncured meat. But if you want a genuine nitrate-free turkey, choose fresh meat, or something smoked with a fruit and spice extract blend.