Wade, morning.... After re reading the FSIS handbook, I believe you assumed the 4 oz. / gallon solution was for immersion curing.. I believe it is for a 10% injection only and subsequent immersion of meats is not allowed...
FSIS page 11...
There are some recently introduced processes, such as injecting emulsion into the meat or poultry; and there are processes not specifically addressed in the regulations (such as immersion curing of products other than bacon). Nevertheless, the amount of curing solution permitted in these processes is also based on the green weight of the meat or poultry because FSIS believes that all the curing agent used is taken up by the meat or poultry.
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The FSIS manual points to injection curing... where "all the curing agent used is taken up by the meat"....
Using the 4 0z. per gallon, that would lead to the conclusion of 187 Ppm nitrite in any injected meats injected at a 10% rate....
That solution is not to be used for immersion curing ... the USDA does not address immersion curing for any meats other than bacon...
It is for immersion too:
From the handbook: page 21-22
Nitrite in Immersed Products
In immersion curing, the submerged meat or poultry absorbs the cover pickle solution, slowly,
over a long period of time. There are two recognized methods for calculating the allowable
ingoing amount of nitrite in immersion cured products. The method used depends on the
mechanism of movement of nitrite within the meat and/or poultry/pickle system and into the meat,
meat byproduct, or poultry tissue itself.
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Method One
The first method assumes that the meat or poultry absorbs not more than the level of
nitrite in the cover pickle. Hence, the calculation for nitrite is based on the green weight
of the meat or poultry (as is the case with pumped products), but uses percent pick-up as
the percent pump. The percent pick-up is the total amount of cover pickle absorbed by
the meat or poultry. It is used in the calculation for immersion cured products in the same
way percent pump is used in the (previous) calculation for pumped products.
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Calculation Formula (using % pick-up)
lb nitrite × % pick-up × 1,000,000 = ppm
lb pickle