Nitrate Free Bacon Guide

Whether you’re a bacon fanatic or just trying to avoid processed meats, you may have noticed a spike in the popularity of nitrate free bacon. This is because the World Health Organization has declared that the ingredient sodium nitrate in cured bacon has been found to cause cancer.

Despite this, many people are still looking for alternative options to cured bacon. These nitrate free bacon products are often more expensive than traditional cured bacon.

Nitrates and nitrites are used to help preserve food in addition to adding flavor. They help give bacon its pink color and prevent it from drying out. These chemical additives are also cheap and easy to source.

The problem is that these chemicals can cause some unpleasant side effects, including heart disease and diabetes. They also have been linked to certain types of cancer.

In a recent study, scientists at the University of California-San Francisco found that cooking meats in high temperatures (over 300 degrees Fahrenheit) causes nitrosamines to form. These nitrosamines are known to increase the risk of cancer, especially in women and children.

This increased risk is particularly true for the nitrites in cured bacon. When these nitrites come in contact with amino acids during the curing process, they can convert into nitrosamines and then into cancer-causing chemicals.

Fortunately, there’s a way to make bacon without using synthetic nitrates and nitrites: by using a naturally-sourced nitrate. These nitrates are often found in celery and beets.

These vegetables contain a natural form of nitrate that is less harmful than the synthetic sodium nitrite in traditional cured bacon. When paired with the right spices and seasonings, these vegetables can help keep your bacon crisp and delicious.

However, nitrate free bacon is not always easy to find. Some brands that claim to be nitrate free use celery powder in place of nitrates, making it difficult for consumers to know if their bacon is truly nitrite free.

The FDA is working on changing the way nitrates and nitrites are regulated. These foods that claim to be nitrate and nitrite free will have to be tested for nitrates and nitrites in order to prove that they are actually free of them.

Unfortunately, nitrates and nitrites can be hard to recognize, because they are similar to other additives found in food. They’re often marketed as being non-synthetic, but they’re sourced from synthetic sources like potassium nitrate or sodium nitrite. Check out this article to read more on nitrate Free bacon.

Another concern with nitrates and nitrites is that they can be easily digested by your body and converted into nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. These nitrosamines can increase your cancer risk by causing your immune system to attack your own cells, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Consumer Reports.

To prevent these problems, the USDA requires that nitrates and nitrites be added only when necessary to cure meat and to reduce their concentration so that they can’t exceed 120 parts per million in pumped or 200 parts per million in dry-cured bacon. In addition, these additives must be combined with vitamin C to minimize the formation of nitrosamines during the curing process. Explore more on this subject by clicking here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon.