Allowable Nitrite/Nitrate levels in the UK

[Parson Snows]

Oddley

the following quotes are taken from

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on the request from the Commission related to the effects of Nitrites/Nitrates on the Microbiological Safety of Meat Products.

http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/biohaz/b ... 04_en1.pdf

There is no direct relationship between the input nitrite and the residual nitrite, especially if sodium ascorbate (or sodium isoascorbate / sodium erythorbate) is present in the formulation to prevent oxidation and to fix the colour.

The carcinogenic effects of nitrosamines, the result of transformation of nitrites and nitrites, are outside the scope of this opinion.

Kind regards

Parson Snows

PS I got the pdf, thanks

[Oddley]

Thanks I'll have a read of that.

Would you like to give an opinion on the other couple of questions posed.
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If I have this right then the following is the most telling.

The chemistry of interactions involving nitrite in food products is
complex, owing to the highly reactive nature of nitrite. In cured meat
products, a rapid decrease to about 50% of the initially added nitrite
concentration occurs during processing.

If I am right we can say that if I add nitrite to a piece of meat at a

indicative rate of 200 ppm
then the Residual would = 100 ppm after processing (slighty more or less).

Is this right?

Hello again parson I have just received this as part of a .pdf file from Andy at the FSA.

This may sound like a stupid question but in your opinion if I were making
dry cure bacon do the rules allow for.

E 250 Sodium nitrite* Dry cured bacon and ham 175 mg/kg as a residue
And
E 251 Sodium nitrate Dry cured bacon and ham 250 mg/kg as a residue

Or only one of them. I want to be sure.

And Oh have a look at the brisket would 10 mg/kg apply to Salt beef made with brisket

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[Parson Snows]

Oddley

You wrote

If I have this right then the following is the most telling.

The chemistry of interactions involving nitrite in food products is
complex, owing to the highly reactive nature of nitrite. In cured meat
products, a rapid decrease to about 50% of the initially added nitrite
concentration occurs during processing.

If I am right we can say that if I add nitrite to a piece of meat at a indicative rate of 200 ppm then the Residual would = 100 ppm after processing (slighty more or less). Is this right?

Excerpt from �The EFSA Journal (2003) 14, 1-31, The effects of Nitrites/Nitrates on the Microbiological Safety of Meat Products�

1) What is the correlation between in-going and residual amounts of nitrites and nitrates?

1A Nitrites

From the data available there is no simple and direct relationship between the in-going and the residual amounts of nitrite. The fate of nitrite added to meat is influenced by several factors including the pH of the meat product, the storage temperature, any heat treatment, and the presence of reducing substances e.g. ascorbate/isoascorbate.

1B Nitrates

It is also difficult to predict the fate of nitrate added to meat products. In some products it remains at essentially the concentration added, and then decays slowly. In some traditional products, nitrate acts as a reservoir of nitrite, the rate of reduction being dependent on the nature of the natural microbial flora. Occasionally nitrate can be detected in meat products to which only nitrite had been added, as the result of microbial activity.

Excerpt taken from "Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners and Directive 94/35/EC on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs"

EFSA is of the opinion that monitoring of residual levels of nitrites/nitrates in the final product is of limited value. The main reason is that the rate of loss of nitrite in a product is dependent on a number of factors including the heat process used, the pH of the product, the storage temperature and the addition of ascorbic acid or other reducing agents.

Kind regards

Parson Snows

[Oddley]

Thank you parson Snows I believe that is the conclusion of Nitrates/Nitrites 101. I now have enough information to safely formulate my own cures.

Talking to you has helped clarify in my mind the actions and uses of nitrates/ nitrites over periods of time.

I will be continuing my research into the actions of Nitrate/Nitrites and contacting some research institutes.

[Parson Snows]

Oddley et al

OK class get your text books out and turn to �mass balance calculations as pertaining to sausage formulations�



Closing point �

INDICATIVE
adj 1: relating to the mood of verbs that is used simple declarative statements; "indicative mood" [syn: declarative] 2: (usually followed by `of') pointing out or revealing clearly; "actions indicative of fear" [syn: indicatory, revelatory, significative, suggestive] n : a mood (grammatically unmarked) that represents the act or state as an objective fact [syn: indicative mood, declarative mood, declarative, common mood, fact mood]

taken from the Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending excerpt from �Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners� and �Directive 94/35/EC on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs

EFSA recommends that the levels of nitrite and nitrate are set down in the legislation as �added amount�.

As I mentioned to you this ONLY a Proposal (2004) for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL; though if it is accepted, the present �Indicative ingoing amount mg/kg� description would become �Maximum level that may be added during the manufacturing� making it somewhat clearer. We can only hope. I still have one question to answer for you.

Kind regards

Parson Snows

PS if you come across anything interesting in your quest I�d appreciate a nod and a wink.