Curing processed meats without nitrite

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Feb, 1996

Rationing one's intake of hot dogs, salami, and pepperoni to avoid nitrite preservatives - the precursors of potential carcinogens - might not be necessary for much longer. A nitrite-free technique to cure processed meats and fish-meat blends is being considered for government approval in Canada, and then will be submitted in the U.S.

Processed meats are cured to preserve flavor and color and prevent microbial growth. Curing traditionally has been done with sodium nitrite, in combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), spices, sugar, salt, and sometimes phosphates. Nitrite reacts with amines and amino acids in the meat to form carcinogenic N-nitrosamines, according to Fereidoon Shahidi, a food biochemistry professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.

The alternative curing process is based on one of the distinctive features of nitrite-cured meat - its pinkish color. The pigment responsible for that color can be used along with vitamin E to replace the nitrite, Shahidi and his colleagues found, because the pigment has anti-oxidant properties, which helps to preserve flavor. Anti-microbial agents that have "generally recognized as safe" status (and therefore don't need to be re-approved) can be added as well, if desired. All the other regular ingredients, such as spices. still can be used.

There are two advantages with the new curing technique. One is that the absence of nitrite prevents the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines; the other is that nothing new is added that could be a possible health threat. Nevertheless, there could be some difficulties getting nitrite-free meats to market. For one thing. Shahidi explains, "Processors may say. `If you produce this and put it on our shelves as a healthy food, what is that going to say about the rest of the products we have there? Is that going to say the others are unhealthy?'" He suggests they label some as nitrite-cured and some as nitrite-free, and "let consumers decide without making any claims that this is healthy or not healthy."

Why would processors continue to use nitrite at all? He points out that they say they are using smaller amounts than in the past, so the processors believe the danger is less or is not there." In addition, nitrite is "cheap - almost free." Shahidi estimates the new technique may add two to four cents per pound to the cost of processed meat.