Packaging film adhesion strength at the meat‐film interface was measured on a vacuum‐packaged, cook‐in‐the‐film prepared turkey product using an approximate 90° peeling angle from the plane of the meat surface. Adhesion increased (P<0.05) as added NaCl increased from 0.75% to 2.0% (w/w) but not with further increase to 2.5%. Sodium phosphates at 0.4% (w/w) increased (P<0.05) adhesion strength as follows: pyrophosphate > tripolyphosphate > monophosphate > no phosphate = hexametaphosphate. Film sealants of nylon blend and Surlyn® produced more (P<0.05) adhesion to meat surfaces than linear low densiq polyethylene‐Surlyn® blend, linear low density polyethylene‐ethyl vinyl acetate or ethylene‐propylene copolymer. Nylon blend sealant had the most surface adhesion (171.2 g/cm) and surface energy (56.2 dynes/cm) whereas ethylene‐propylene copolymer yielded the lowest measures (6.3 g/cm and 31.7 dynes/cm, respectively). Film‐to‐meat adhesion responded to NaCl concentration and type of phosphate in the sume manner as water and meat‐to‐meat binding respond during meat processing.