Cured meat? page

[Beauty]

Hi,


I'm wondering about cured meat. I love it, especially prosciutto crudo. I mean, I really love prosciutto crudo, it is like caramel on my tongue. And it comes in so many varieties here in Europe.


I read on someone's post (( don't remember whose!) recently that it's best to stay away from it. Is this true? If so, why?

[emmcubed]

I was buying bacon and sausage from a local grower who sells from the Dallas, TX farmer's market. I never thought to look at the label, as he was selling it under the auspice of "all natural, locally raised, no antibiotics". I bought his products for three months, then one day looked at the label while I was cooking: sodium nitrite. All his bacon was cured. I stopped buying from him immediately and went with an all-natural, uncured producer.

[Beauty]

Hmm, but a lot of the traditionally cured meat in Europe is cured with salt only. I'm thinking that should be okay?

[verdilak]

I would go with as little salt as possible.

[musajen]

I'm on the other side of the fence on cured meat products - I don't think they're dangerous.


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


At the same time though, my diet isn't jam packed with cured meat products. Maybe it could be an issues if you live off of cured products.

[Prowler]

I came across this article ("Cured meats found to hold health benefits"):


http://www.examiner.com/x-4424-Omaha-Sustainable-Foods-Examiner~y2009m7d24-Cured-meats-found-to-hold-health-benefits


Basically, though scientists have speculated about a link between nitrites and carcinogenic nitrosamines, no actual causative link has been discovered between nitrite intake and any disorder. It's pure speculation.


On the contrary, nitrites convert quickly to nitric oxide, which has been found to be beneficial and protective against various conditions.


Furthermore, certain vegetables contain a much larger quantity of natural nitrites/nitrates than any cured meats, including those paragons of good nutrition, broccoli and spinach.


Personally, I am not worried about meat cured with nitrites, and I'm planning to try some curing of my own.

[Plaid Dad]

I wouldn't worry about traditionally cured meats.

[verdilak]

I'm more worried about the meats that are cured and glazes with sugars. I love ham, but most contain sugar, HFCS, MSG, brown sugar, ect. that it leaves me with only one brands that I can buy from my deli.