Summer is coming soon so it's time to make a lot of fresh sausage.
Exactly. And that is what you grill. Not smoked sausages loaded with the maximum allowable amount of nitrite. There are real dangers of consuming charred smoked sausages. The health risk of nitrosamines is quire real.
post #11 of 15
4/18/14 at 6:30pm
BDSkelly
1,427 Posts. Joined 2/2013
Location: DFW North Texas
Points: 42
Quote:
Originally Posted by DiggingDogFarm View Post
Nitrate is not permitted in commercial bacon.
Code of Federal Regulations
§424.23 Prohibited uses.
(b) Nitrates. Nitrates shall not be used in curing bacon.
~Martin
Stupid question: Why?
post #12 of 15
4/18/14 at 6:44pm
DiggingDogFarm
4,212 Posts. Joined 6/2011
Location: Finger Lakes Region of New York State
Points: 94
Well...it's kind of complicated. LOL
In a nutshell, control freaks back in the 70's decided that the nitrite in commercial bacon needed to be limited because nitrite MAY under certain circumstances (high heat) convert to nitrosamines that MAY be carcinogenic....although there's never been a confirmed case of that happening in humans.
So, in an effort to limit nitrite, the permitted amount of nitrite in commercial bacon was set at a low level and nitrAte was eliminated (because nitrAte converts to nitrite.)
Lots of worry over something that may not be a problem.....funny thing is, if folks cook other cured meats at high temperature...like grilled hot dogs...or grilled ham steaks or WHATEVER....there's the same POSSIBILITY that nitrosamines may be produced...it's not limited to bacon.
I say it's hyped bullshit and folks shouldn't get all freaked-out over it.
~Martin