# USDA and Bacon



## dlfl (Feb 1, 2012)

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Bacon_and_Food_Safety/index.asp#4

How much nitrite can be used in curing bacon? 
The USDA is responsible for monitoring the proper use of nitrite by meat processors. While sodium nitrite cannot exceed 200 ppm going into dry-cured bacon, sodium nitrite cannot exceed 120 ppm for both pumped and immersion-cured bacon. 
  Researchers at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that the addition of vitamin C (also known as ascorbate) and vitamin E (also known as tocopherol) reduced the levels of nitrosamines in fried bacon and in nitrite-cured products. The findings led to changes in Federal regulations and industry processing to minimize consumer exposure to nitrosamines. USDA now requires adding 550 ppm (parts per million) of either sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate to pumped bacon. This addition greatly reduces the amount of free nitrite and, thus, minimizes the formation of nitrosamines. This regulation is found in 9 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 424.22 (b)(1). How much nitrite can be used in curing bacon? The USDA is responsible for monitoring the proper use of nitrite by meat processors. While sodium nitrite cannot exceed 200 ppm going into dry-cured bacon, sodium nitrite cannot exceed 120 ppm for both pumped and immersion-cured bacon.

Dick


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 1, 2012)

Yep that works...Or...Do like Grandpa and have a glass of Orange Juice with your Bacon and Eggs...He was cutting edge, ate his home cured Bacon almost everyday, Smoked Cigars, drank 4 Roses Whiskey and every night before bed drank a Beer with a Raw Egg in it...He lived to be 90...JJ


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## wildflower (Feb 1, 2012)

Look out the the bus when crossing the street


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## alblancher (Feb 1, 2012)

Those two chemicals are acceleraters hence their use in pumped procedures. They speed up the conversion of nitrite to NO.  The key to reducing Nitrosamines in the final product is having very little nitrite remaining in the bacon before frying.  This is the reason USDA recommends against using Nitrate cures with high temp cooked products like crispy fried bacon.  When using Nitrates you will have at best residual amounts of nitrite remaining in the product at cooking time.

We have an ongoing discussion on the forum of the safety of using bacon cures that contain nitrates.   I am of the opinion that each of us makes our own decisions and the best we can do on the forum is educate and recommend.   I personally do not use nitrates when curing bacon but there are enough people on the forum that do and so much conflicting information about their safety that you will see many recipes and techniques that include TQ as the source of the curing agent.

Welcome to the forum,  I hope you continue to read and learn about food safety and cure techniques and then share what you learn with us.

Thanks for joining  

Al


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## sound1 (Feb 1, 2012)

X2, nicely said Al


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