What portion is the score based on?

Nutrition figures are given per 100 g, and the scoring applies a serving-size adjustment based on this food's typical portion: Guideline amount on regular sandwich (56 g). Eating substantially more or less than that shifts the real-world effect accordingly.

How confident is this score?

Based on the measured median for this food category. Because the purine figure is estimated rather than directly measured, read this score as approximate.

Can I eat beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat if I have gout?

That is a question for you and your clinician. This page ranks foods on published population-average evidence; it does not account for your urate level, kidney function, medications or overall eating pattern.

How does this compare with other beef entries?

The database holds 39 beef variants and this one is 2nd of 39, scoring 65. They range from 24 (beef, steak, t-bone, lean and fat eaten) up to 66 (beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat, reduced sodium), so preparation matters more here than the ingredient does — a 42-point spread within the same food.

Animal / meat

Beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat

Q: What does a score of 65 mean?

65 out of 100 places beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat in the "good" band. Generally ranks well. Most people with gout find it fits into a regular eating pattern. Scores rank foods against each other on average across a population. They are not a personal risk level.

How beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.

Food Index score

Beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meatGood

0100

Based on a well-supported purine estimate

What moved this score
Starting score	100
Purine Load	-18.2
Sodium	-8
Nutrient Gaps	-4
Heme Iron	-2.5
Saturated Fat	-2
Calorie Density	-1
3 smaller factors	+0.7
Final score	65

Flare risk (acute)82

Long-term (chronic)83

Beef, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat scores 65 out of 100 and sits in the good band. Generally ranks well. Most people with gout find it fits into a regular eating pattern.

Penalties took 35.7 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.7 back. Every factor is listed in full below.

Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.

Compare with another foodMore cold cuts and cured meats How scoring works

The underlying data

Nutrition and portions

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per 100 g

Typical serving56 g

Calories115

Total Fat3.7 g
Saturated Fat1.3 g
Sodium853 mg
Dietary Fiber0 g
Total Sugars0.29 g
Protein18.6 g

Calcium5 mg
Iron2.0 mg
Magnesium20 mg
Vitamin C0 mg
Folate5 ug

Water73.7 g
Alcohol0 g
Omega-3 EPA0.01 g
Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

1 slice, NFS28 g
1 cup, pieces140 g
Guideline amount on regular sandwichtypical56 g
Guideline amount on large sandwich84 g
Quantity not specified56 g

Where the purine figure comes from

No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (cold cuts and cured meats).

We rate this a good confidence estimate.

How purines affect the score →

Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.

Scoring rationale

Every factor, in full

Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.

PointsFactorAffects

-18.2
Purine LoadFlare risk
130 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 130 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
Flare risk
-8
SodiumLong-term
853 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
Long-term
-4
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 3 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
Long-term
-2.5
Heme IronLong-term
2.05 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 60% is heme iron in animal foods, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
Long-term
-2
Saturated FatLong-term
1.32 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
Long-term
-1
Calorie DensityLong-term
115 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
Long-term
+0.5
MagnesiumLong-term
20 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
Long-term
+0.1
Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk
0.010 g of EPA and DHA omega-3 per 100 g, with no portion adjustment. Omega-3 is linked to fewer recurrent flares.
Evidence: Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
Flare risk
+0.1
FolateLong-term
5 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Long-term

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