While in USA, Biltong and Jerky etc. preserved meats have already had a proper influence on the taste buds of people, questions are still raised on the quality of meats and the preservatives etc.
Previously, most of the preserved meats used natural ingredients such as salt, spices and natural vinegar etc. However, with people demanding for newer tastes, the wholesale beef jerky manufacturers have started mixing all kinds of artificial ingredients and preservatives.
No wonder, these cheesy preservatives do enhance the taste, but they degrade the human body health equally.
And among these most used preservatives is Sodium Nitrite. But is Sodium Nitrite really harmful for the human body? Let us see this as you read along:
Sodium Nitrite And Its Usage:
As the name denotes, Sodium Nitrite is actually a salt or rather an anti-oxidant which is used to preserve the foods. It was first approved in 1925 as a meat-curing agent.
This curing salt was found favorable to the public health since it blocked the growth of botulism by killing the dangerous bacteria on the food products. And apart from preventing Listeria, it also offers a kind of savory and tasty flavor to the meats.
Sodium Nitrite And Beef Curing:
Whenever you come across the term ‘Cured Meat’ on some pack of preserved beef (such as biltong or jerky), and unless specified something else, this would normally mean Sodium Nitrite.
Not only it imparts it a great taste and color, Sodium Nitrite will also offer the preserved beef a much greater shelf life by preventing the risk of bacterial attacks.
Even with all these good deeds, the salt is still not considered a good preserving alternative. Why?
Read along to know about it.
Sodium Nitrite And Its Risks:
As per lots of assertions, Sodium Nitrite has been associated to cause colon cancers and it also leads to certain lung diseases. Thus, it’s not such a good idea to consume lots of beef jerky, knowing that it has been preserved under the influence of Sodium Nitrite.
Not Sodium Nitrite; What Else?
As per the latest and healthy materials used in place of Sodium Nitrite, Celery Juice Powder has been found to be the most effective one. This too imparts your preserved meat delicacies a great taste and safeguards it against the microbial attacks.
So if you love to eat the preserved meats and buy beef jerky in wholesale, choose the ones which do not contain Sodium Nitrite as a preservative. Instead, go for those which say ‘All Natural’ and follow the USDA guidelines for the preparation of the products.
