Bacon curing

She/fEfe Sensoy, Cooking, and Physica/ Characteristics of Bacon Cured with VayingEeve/s of Sodium Mitrate and Potassium Sorbate, U.S. Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., July 1979. 

Since nitrosamine formation can possibly occur in vivo after eating bacon cured with nitrite, as well as in vitro before consumption, it is... 

Nitrites are generally not classified as human carcinogens. Under certain conditions nitrites may combine with amines in the body to form nitrosamines. There are a number of different nitrosamines many are regulated as human carcinogens. Certain chemicals, such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid), can limit the transformation of nitrites to nitrosamines. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires the addition of ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid to bacon cure to reduce the risk of nitrosamine formation. 

Sodium ascorbate fixative, color bacon curing Potassium nitrite fixative, color cured food Sodium nitrate Sodium nitrite fixative, color food... 

Calcium ascorbate preservative, bacon curing Potassium nitrite preservative, bacterial infections Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil preservative, baked goods Calcium acetate Sodium diacetate Sodium propionate preservative, balms Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil preservative, bath gels Chlorhexidine digluconate preservative, beer... 

Bacon curing and meat processing Poultry slaughter and processing Animal by-product processing... 

N Nitrosopyrrolidine (formed when bacon that has been cured with sodium nitrite IS fned)... 

Nitrates are found in fairly high concentrations in beets, spinach, kale, coUards, eggplant, celery, and lettuce. AdditionaHy, nitrates and nitrites are commonly used in the curing solutions of bacon, ham, and other cured meats. In cured meats, nitrates and nitrites control the growth of microorganisms, particularly Clostridium botulinum, and also serve as color preservatives. 

Sodium nitrate is also used in formulations of heat-transfer salts for he at-treatment baths for alloys and metals, mbber vulcanization, and petrochemical industries. A mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate is used to capture solar energy (qv) to transform it into electrical energy. The potential of sodium nitrate in the field of solar salts depends on the commercial development of this process. Other uses of sodium nitrate include water (qv) treatment, ice melting, adhesives (qv), cleaning compounds, pyrotechnics, curing bacons and meats (see Food additives), organics nitration, certain types of pharmaceutical production, refining of some alloys, recovery of lead, and production of uranium. 

A high proportion of pork is pickled in brine and smoked, to make ham or bacon. The original process was to immerse the meat in a tank of cold brine for a period. A quicker method is to inject the cold pickle with hypodermic needles into the cuts. Smoking is carried out at around 52°C, so the cured bacon must be cooled again for slicing, packing and storage. 

Sodium nitrite can react with proteins in the stomach or during cooking, especially in high heat (such as frying bacon), to form carcinogenic N-nitrosamines. To prevent this, ascorbic acid or erythor-bic acid is commonly added to cured meats. 

The inhibition of formation of NPYR and NDMA in fried bacon by the use of cure-solubilized a-tocopherol (500 mg/kg) has been demonstrated by Fiddler et al. (50). Walters et al. (53) also reported reduced levels of N-nitrosamines in the vapors during the frying of bacon in fat containing a-tocopherol. It has also been shown that a-tocopherol is dispersed quite effectively during frying of bacon slices therefore, application to bacon may be made by spray or dip to overcome the problem of water insolubility (51). Controlled addition of this antioxidant may be an effective and practical way of reducing the concentration of N-nitrosamines in cooked... 

N-Nitrosamines in Cured Meats Other Than Bacon. The presence of N-nitrosamines in cured meats other than bacon has been the subject of several recent surveys (19,58,59). In general, the majority of the positive samples contained extremely low levels of N-nitrosamine, usually less than I yg/kg (19,58). This low level could, in part, be attributed to the discontinuation of the use of nitrite-spice premixes in the mid-l970 s (l 9). In the Holland study (59), the predominant N-nitrosamines detected were NDMA and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) and, generally, values of 4 yg/kg were obtained for each N-nitrosamine. More correctly, these are presumptive N-nitrsoamine levels since mass spectral confirmation of their identities was not achieved. 

Bacon, Roger. The cure of old age, and preservation of youth.. . . Translated out of Latin with annotations, and an account of his life and writings. By Richard Browne,... . Also a physical account of the tree of life by Edw. Madeira Arrais. Translated likewise out of Latin by the same hand. London Printed for Tho. Flesher at the Angel and Crown, and Edward Evets at the Green Dragon, in St Pauls church-yard, 1683. 156, 108p. 

With Bacon s Cure of old age (item 86). Translated by Richard Browne. 

Cured meats, bacon, ham, smoked sausages, beef, canned meat, pork pies, smoked fish, frozen pizza and some cheeses contain nitrate and nitrite additives, typically at... 

Various NOC can be found in food processing operations. The most commonly known contributors to dietary volatile and non-volatile N-nitrosamines are nitrite cured meats, particularly fried bacon and beer. Several reviews cover the occurrence and formation of... 

The major health concern regarding use of curing salts is the possibility of nitrosamine formation in the cured products. Nitrite ion appears to be the precursor compound required for nitrosamine formation, rather than NO. Inclusion of reductants such as ascorbate, now required in bacon, lowers nitrite level in the product and increases the level of NO available for cured meat color formation and stability. 

Any secondary amine will react with nitrous acid to form a nitrosamine (Eq. 27-25). Tertiary amines can also react with loss of one alkyl group. This can occur in the stomach, and the nitrosamines may be absorbed into the system. All plants contain some nitrate and some, such as spinach and beets, have large amounts. Bacon and other cured R R meats contain both nitrites and nitrates, and many drugs and natural food... 

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