Bacon only once a week?

[joesabido]

Re: Bacon only once a week?

bonnie stomper,

I will assume, just assume, that you love bacon...

[Slapshot]

Re: Bacon only once a week?

I wouldn't bother searching for bacon that specifies "sodium-nitrite free", it's concentration in food is very low anyway (200ppm at most).

The sodium nitrite ITSELF is not dangerous, the carcinogenic danger comes from sodium nitrite being converted in our bodies to nitrosamines, which are easily neutralized with vitamin c.

Plus, it's necessary to have residual amounts of sodium-nitrite in cured meat because it prevents botulism.

Here's something I found on the www

The food industry responded to concerns about NOCs in the 1970s and 1980s by virtually eliminating the addition of nitrate to foods and reducing residual nitrite (analytically detectable) levels in cured meat products five-fold without compromising antibotulinal effects. Today, cured meats on average have one-fifth the amount of residual nitrite present 20 years ago.

The industry also began using agents to block or inhibit the formation of NOCs from nitrite. Such agents include ascorbate (vitamin C), erythorbate (chemically similar to vitamin C), and tocopherol (vitamin E). Most cured meats produced in the United States contain ascorbate or erythorbate. For bacon, adding one of these inhibitors is mandatory.

So if your bacon is packed in the USA, it already has nitrite inhibitors, which makes the bacon (for digestive purposes) "nitrite-free".

While I won't quibble with your research (because there appears to be a fair debate out there on this), I'll just be a gentle stickler and remind everyone that Dr. Atkins said to avoid sodium nitrate because (according to him), it is a "known carcinogen." (his words) As we follow the 2002 DANDR here, I feel compelled to point that out. Of course, to each his/her own when it comes to their risk tolerance, but I just wanted to point out what Dr. A had to say about it.