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Luncheon Meat

Also listed as: Luncheon meat (unspecified)

Luncheon Meat is fine in moderation. Watch your portion size, especially during a flare. A typical 55 g serving has about 32 mg of purines, about 8% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

General information, not a substitute for advice from your doctor or dietitian.

Across forms of luncheon:BC· 32–138 mg per serving

Low in purines, but ultra-processed. Ultra-processed foods are linked to higher gout risk on their own, so we do not rate this as safe to eat freely. (UK Biobank 2024)

This number comes from a single laboratory sample, and other cuts of the same food that were measured several times each came out substantially higher. We have not changed the figure, because we do not have a better-sourced one: we have stopped it reading as safe. Treat it as a moderate choice until it is re-measured.

How much can I eat?

Units

A typical serving is about 55 g, which delivers 32 mg of purines, or about 8% of a ~400 mg working daily target.

This serving
2 oz
55 g
Purine / serving
32 mg
% daily purine
8%
Purines in this serving32 mg · 8% of a day
0 mg~400 mg daily limit
1 oz8 oz

Even a large serving stays well within a ~400 mg working daily purine target.

Portion size is what matters most here, and it’s easy to misjudge by eye. A kitchen scale makes it simple.

Shop a kitchen scale on Amazon

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Why grade C

Fine in moderation. Mind your portion size, especially during a flare.

Per 100 g (for comparison)

Purines Moderate confidence
58.3 mg/100g
LowModerateHighVery high

Moderate for gout (50–150 mg/100g).

Fructose Low confidence (estimated)
0 g/100g
LowModerateHighVery high

Low for gout (< 3 g/100g).

Fructose here is a category-level estimate, not a direct measurement for this food.

Processing: NOVA 4 of 4. How processing affects the grade.

Eating luncheon meat as part of a bigger dish? The Dish Decoder grades the whole plate, ingredient by ingredient.

Grade a dish or browse every food rating

Other forms of luncheon

This is the most common form of "luncheon". Pick a specific form below if you mean one in particular.

Meatless Luncheon Slices

B
Purine 97.8 mg Fructose 0.3 g per 100 g
Safe Meat Alternatives

Luncheon Meat (ham, ready-to-eat)

C
Purine 250.4 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

Turkey Luncheon Meat

Luncheon meat, turkey, ready-to-eat

C
Purine 235.2 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

More from Processed Meats

Bacon

Pork, cured, bacon, cooked

C
Purine 428.8 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats serving 24 g

Corned Beef

C
Purine 46.9 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

Fish Sausage

Fish sausage, processed

C
Purine 22.7 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

Frankfurter

C
Purine 49.9 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

Frankfurter (beef, heated)

C
Purine 115.2 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats

Frankfurter (beef, unheated)

C
Purine 114.9 mg Fructose 0 g per 100 g
Moderate Processed Meats