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Meat preservation

Q: In meat processing, factories normally use sodium nitrate as preservative and for good meat color preservation. Since this chemical is believed to increase risk of cancer, are there any alternative treatments/chemicals that can replace the function of this formula? What is the acceptable dose or level that a person can have without affecting the health?

A: At the levels — which are now controlled for both maximum and minimum — used in the U.S., the safety concern is minimal except possibly with meats that receive a very high heat treatment during cooking, for example bacon. There are some products that normally use nitrate that can be nitrate free, but they must be kept cold at all times. They cannot be left out in a lunch box. Some of the folks making "natural" products are using celery juice and similar items as a source of natural nitrate — celery is very high in nitrate! (Much higher levels than in meats.)

- Joe M. Regenstein, PhD is an expert in meat science and teaches Kosher and Halal Food Regulations at Cornell University, Rochester, N.Y.