"Packed meat contains sodium nitrite". [Some questions about meat inside]

Cellar_Door

What I've heard: Sodium nitrite is used in cancer research. When researches want to inflict mouse with a cancer they inject sodium nitrite into the mouse.

Do packed meats in the supermarkets contain sodium nitrate? What the hell are packed meats - meat that comes in a package?!

Second question, what's the definition of "processed meat"? In particular, I want to know what meat is non-processed (and thus healthy).

I read that there's no correlation between heart disease and meat eating as long as the meat is UNprocessed.

El_Dangeroso

Here's an excellent article that debunks the whole nitrates thing:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/does-banning-hotdogs-and-bacon-make.html

Bottom line:

The primary source of nitrites in our diets is vegetables, and to a lesser degree water and other foods. While it’s popularly believed that nitrates and nitrites mostly come from processed meats, they’re actually a very small source of our nitrite intakes, less than 5-10%. And nitrates aren’t present at all in commercially processed meats.

Nitrates occur naturally in vegetables and plants as a result of the nitrogen cycle where nitrogen is fixed by bacteria. Dietary studies around the world have found 70% (in UK) to over 97% (New Zealand) of human consumption of nitrates and nitrites comes from vegetables alone, regardless of organic or conventionally grown. On average, about 93% of the nitrites we get each day comes from the nitrates in vegetables.

Enjoy your (hopefully free-range) bacon.

Iristxo

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Enjoy your (hopefully free-range) bacon.

I can't believe this, I was holding off buying a few things including spanish serrano ham because of nitrates. Good to know, I'll fire away now!

P.S. Where does one get free-range bacon?

sxt

Is it fair to compare the nitrates in vegetables to nitrates in bacon though?

Vegetables usually aren't cooked at high temperatures ,and would have high water content ,minerals ,anttoxidants ,fibres etc etc.

Ciaran500

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Here's an excellent article that debunks the whole nitrates thing:

To expand on what sxt said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrite#Food_additive

The cooking at high temperatures is what is suspected of causing the carcinogen and that vitamin C prevents the formation of these carcinogens.

Sapsorrow

This is probably a stupid question but is there such a thing as rashers from a butcher which are literally just the fresh meat cut into slices? Also do butchers make sausages which are just meat in cases or will they always be heavily processed?

El_Dangeroso

Ciaran500 wrote: »

To expand on what sxt said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrite#Food_additive

The cooking at high temperatures is what is suspected of causing the carcinogen and that vitamin C prevents the formation of these carcinogens.

Yep, but even without the vitamin C the amount of nitrates is TINY, something like 15 parts per billion. If you breathe air in a city you breathe in carcinogenic toxins in a much higher concentration than that. Never mind the amount of pesticides on non-organic vegetables.

There are so many other more tangible things worth worrying about in my opinion.

Cellar_Door

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Here's an excellent article that debunks the whole nitrates thing:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/does-banning-hotdogs-and-bacon-make.html

Bottom line:


Enjoy your (hopefully free-range) bacon.

All I can say is: Wow.

I haven't read the full article yet, but I'll check it out a bit later when I have time.

Mellor

Cellar_Door wrote: »

What I've heard: Sodium nitrite is used in cancer research. When researches want to inflict mouse with a cancer they inject sodium nitrite into the mouse.

The part about the cancer and nitrates isn't true.

Sodium nitrate is an approved food additive, in Europe designated with E number E251. It has antimicrobial properties when used as a food preservative. It is found naturally in leafy green vegetables.