The “No Nitrites Added” Hoax


 
Thanks for the info Marc. I've notified a geek/know-it-all friend of mine; I'm waiting for his input...
If what Ruhlman is saying is correct (and I suspect he is), then there's plenty to get mad/annoyed about.
 
I heard about someone doing a study that links nitrites to Alzheimer's. I guess she was on Dr Oz to promote her hypothesis. I've been trying to find anything about this study but I haven't had much luck. From the little I read about the study, the fact that there's isn't much outside information on the topic, and that she's been on Dr Oz makes me very skeptical.

here's the dr oz link but I have the key idea pasted below

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Could diabetes and Alzheimer’s be caused by some types of exposures?

We have reasonable evidence that human exposure to nitrosamines is at the root cause of not only Alzheimer’s, but several other insulin-resistance diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, also known as NASH, and visceral obesity.



The elimination of local farms in favor of mega-farms requires transport of food for long distances. To prolong shelf-life, preservatives are added. The problem is worsened with transport of “fresh” foods from across the Pacific Ocean. Nitrites are added to meats and processed foods for flavor and coloring. High levels of nitrates added to fertilizers can be incorporated into produce and then converted to nitrites and finally nitrosamines in the body.



Nitrosamines contaminate many processed foods, including fish, cheeses, hotdogs, ground beef, smoked meats like bacon, smoked turkey and ham, and beer. Originally, nitrites were added to food as preservatives to prevent salmonella infection from contaminated meet. The policy remains in place. Although efforts have been made to reduce the levels, nitrites are still added as preservatives. Over time, Western societies, particularly in the US, have been chronically exposed to increasing amounts of nitrosamines due to continuous consumption of processed foods.



Nitrosamines are well-recognized cancer-causing agents. In high doses, they cause cancers in many organs. One of the main toxins in tobacco is a nitrosamine. However, low chronic exposures have cumulative effects.



Years ago, a few scientists suggested that nitrosamines might cause diabetes. The concept was not pursued until now. We performed experiments in the laboratory and showed that very low, limited exposures to nitrosamines (the type found in food) cause Alzheimer’s-type brain degeneration, dementia, diabetes, fatty liver disease and obesity. Adding high fat to the diet made the disease-causing effects of nitrosamines much worse. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

hmm, no mention of celery.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not to mention that article equates nitrites with nitrosamines, and spells meat "meet". </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

seems like simple demographical/epidemiological study should help their case. Figure out dietary nitrite levels for various geographical areas and compare those to alzheimer's rates.

The whole thing is suspicious. Why no mention of vegetables? Why no mention that nitrosamines are only present in food cooked at high heat? The last part mentions that a link was suggested but never pursued. Was it not pursued because the link was improbable?
 
The whole thing is bs! When nitrite is replaced with veggie powder or celery powder and a staph based starter to convert the nitrate to nitrite, the finished ppm in the product is typically higher than if it was added at the max allowable limit of 156ppm for comminuted sausage!
 
It's all BS, remember the nitrate scare in wine in the 90's? The food police won't be happy till we are eating oatmeal and organic greens. You have to die of something, I would rather die on my feet then in bed suffering dimentia unable to recognize my relatives and crapping in a diaper.
 
I thought aluminum caused alzheimers. Isn't that why it was removed from deodorants way back when?

I've been 'wet' ever since
icon_frown.gif
 
Let's see, while Alzheimers is not new (just maybe more effectively labelled and identified), it seems to me that bacon and nitrites have been around for a few years. Could it possibly be that our ancestors didn't eat as much of that cured stuff? Oh, wait. Bacon used to be a staple part of the meals for many. We've come to identify it as a breakfast meat. Oh, dear, what does it all mean?

BS, pure and simple.

Rich
 
I see this nonsense more and more when I'm at the store. As someone considering someday producing charcuterie commercially it's really discouraging that this type of sensationalist BS is being embraced by consumers and by the purchasing departments of corporate groceries. What a crock.
 
Ruhlman has got it wrong, at least partly, he insists that some packers of naturally "cured" products are trying to deceive customers. That's incorrect...they are simply following labeling laws, it's not some hoax.

The link again.....
http://ruhlman.com/2011/05/the-no-nitrites-added-hoax/
http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/meat-curing-safety-issues/

From the blog post above........
"It’s my belief that companies advertising their products as “nitrite-free,” are either uninformed themselves or are pandering to America’s ignorance about what is healthy and what is harmful in our foods. In other words, the term “no nitrites added” is a marketing device, not an actual health benefit."

They're not uninformed, pandering or using the terms as a sneaky marketing device, they're doing what the 'rulers' at the almighty USDA tell them to do as far as labeling goes.

From USDA materials.....

"The USDA currently does not recognize naturally occurring nitrates as effective curing agents in meats, so if using Celery Juice Powder for products being sold to the public, the end-products must be labeled "Uncured"

"Bacon can be manufactured without the use of nitrite, but must be labeled "Uncured Bacon, No Nitrates or Nitrites added" and bear the statement "Not Preserved, Keep Refrigerated Below 40 °F At All Times" — unless the final product has been dried according to USDA regulations, or if the product contains an amount of salt sufficient to achieve an internal brine concentration of 10% or more, the label does not have to carry the handle statement of "Not Preserved, Keep Refrigerated below ___" etc. Recent research studies have shown for products labeled as uncured, certain ingredients added during formulation can naturally produce small amounts of nitrates in bacon and, therefore, have to be labeled with the explanatory statement "no nitrates or nitrites added except for those naturally occurring in ingredients such as celery juice powder, parsley, cherry powder, beet powder, spinach, sea salt etc."


~Martin
 

 

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