Sarah Norrish wrote:
Do organic meat products – sausages/ham/salami etc – contain sodium nitrate? If, as a rule they do, are there any that don’t, as I suffer from palindromic rheumatism, which has strong links with sodium nitrate intolerance, and would like to avoid this preservative if possible without limiting my diet.
Thanks.
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Hi Sarah,
Yes, organic meats are allowed to contain sodium nitrate, which is the chemical name of the old-fashioned ingredient salt peter. This ingredient is used to help cure the meat, to make it into traditional cold sliced meats, such as salami and saucisson. It’s been used to do this for over a hundred years, and as such, is perceived as a natural ingredient in the process by some. However, there is evidence that eating too much salt peter is lined to cancers.
The only way to ensure you don’t eat salt peter is to buy cold meats that specifically say they don’t contain it, or to avoid eating cold meats altogether. This is probably the best option for you, as you have a specific health concern. However, personally I’m okay about eating cold meats that are organic and contain a little salt peter, as a part of a balanced diet.
Best wishes
Ysanne
Posted by Ysanne on 27th October 2006 at 9:45 pm | Permalink