Posts Tagged ‘sodium nitrates in meat’
We all lead busy lives and if you are like me, you want to eat healthy on the run. I always thought a wrap filled with lots of veggies and some sandwich meat for protein makes a great, healthy lunch. Well like most things I write about, I was shocked to learn of the dangers associated with deli meat.
When you walk up to the deli counter in the grocery store, it looks like a plethora of delicious choices like turkey, roast beef, pastrami etc but here’s what you need to know before you buy. 
Processed meats are the majority of what we call cold cuts. About 15% of all meat produced in the U.S. which includes over 200 types. Processed meats include any type of meat that is chopped, seasoned and formed into a symmetrical shape – for example, bologna. There are several meat sources for sausages including beef, pork, mutton, veal, and poultry; meat by-products are also used some times like lips, tripe, pork stomachs and heart. Head cheese is one of the worst culprits, it is made of components from the head of a cow or pig and can include tongues, heart and hooves….all I can say is gross and stay away.
Here’s where the issue comes in with processed meat. Sodium nitrate and its sister compound is used to prevent the growth of bacteria which leads to botulism in humans as well to keep the color of the meat in bacon, hot dogs, italian meats etc.
During the cooking process, amines naturally present in meat combine with the nitrate to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds which have been linked with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and brain. which . It is also suspected that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso compounds as well.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported a study from The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii that reported people who ate the most processed meat (bacon, ham, cold cuts) had a 68% higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. “Most” was defined as at least 0.6 ounce processed meat, 1 ounce beef or 0.3 ounce pork per 1,000 calories consumed. Research in Sweden found that Swedes who ate on average 3 ounces of processed meat each day had a 15 percent greater chance of developing stomach cancer than those who consumed 2 ounces or less.
Now as an alternative to cold cuts made with nitrates you can find deli meat cured with celery juice because celery has naturally occuring nitrites. This process is touted to be healthy but I couldn’t find any substantial evidence to prove this. Since the debate is still out, the best way to ensure your next sandwich is actually good for you is to make your own sandwich meat. I buy a full turkey or roast that was raised without antibiotics or hormones, bake and and once cooled, slice the roast and freeze the meat in sections. This is a great time saver and you can be confident in knowing what you are eating. Don’t forget to fill it with organic vegetables to reduce your pesticide consumption.
If you are looking to cut meat out completely, I recently had a Caprese Sandwich that was delicious. All you need is tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and pesto and viola…a lip smacking traditional sammy alternative!
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