Sodium Erythorbate / Ascorbate in bacon cure.

[David.]

The use of the above only applies to commercially pumped bacon, not dry cured bacon.

The allowed level of Sodium Erythorbate is 87.5 oz per 100 gallons of pickle (brine) at 10% pump level. It should be the last ingredient added before the brine is used.

Hope this adds to the discussion regarding the formation of Nitrosomine
in bacon.

Above quantites in U.S measurments.. NOT Imperial.

David.

[Oddley]

Hi David. as you might have seen this topic has been discussed and we realize that in the US the rules require the addition of Sodium Erythorbate/Ascorbate in brine cured bacon of the amount of 550 ppm or 550 mg/kg as nitrosamines have been found in fried bacon typically at 350 deg F.

The interesting point is that dry cures are not covered by this rule, I can only suppose it's because nitrates are forbidden in bacon production in the US. We know within twenty days of the addition of Sodium Erythorbate/Ascorbate in proximity to nitrite will decompose it to undetectable levels Therefore leaving the meat devoid of any protection from dangerous bacteria. This leads me to believe that with the longer curing times of dry cured bacon using only nitrite but with the addition of Sodium Erythorbate/Ascorbate would cause more problems than it solved.

Fortunately in the UK there is no such ban in the use of nitrates in bacon production therefore we can add Sodium Erythorbate/Ascorbate as this has no effect that I know of on nitrate. As a matter of fact the traditional cure sold on the affiliated shop site to this forum has as one of it's ingredients Sodium Ascorbate.

Thank you for your input as perhaps not everybody has seen the previous posts on this subject.