Nitrate Free Bacon - What Makes It Special?

Whether you're following a low carb diet, a paleo or keto diet, or just want to make sure you're getting plenty of vegetables in your diet, nitrate free bacon is the way to go. But it's important to understand what makes this bacon special, and how it differs from traditional cured pork products.

Most conventional bacon is cured with sodium nitrate (NO2) and/or potassium nitrate (NO3). These are used to enhance the color and flavor of the meat, and they also prevent the bacteria that cause botulism from growing. Continue reading this article for more info on the health benefits of nitrate free bacon.

While nitrates and nitrites are natural, they have long been linked to cancer. This is because they are a preservative, and when cooked in the presence of proteins they can form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines.

However, recent research has found that nitrates in food may not be as harmful as some people have been lead to believe, especially if you're consuming them along with vitamin C. That's because vitamin C is known to help nitrites convert to less harmful forms of the compound, nitrosamines.

This makes it difficult to determine which varieties of nitrate free bacon are better for you. Some manufacturers use a curing agent called celery powder to preserve the meat without using synthetic sodium nitrates, but others still include nitrites as part of their process.

The nitrite in celery powder is made naturally during the curing process, and it's able to prevent botulism, provide a bright pink color, and deliver that signature smoked taste you love so much about bacon.

In addition, celery powder has been shown to contain vitamin C and other antioxidants, which can protect the nitrate in the meat from being converted into nitrosamines, and can help maintain healthy levels of vitamin C in the body.

Moreover, cooking bacon at high temperatures releases chemicals that the World Health Organization links to increased colon cancer risk, so it's best not to fry your bacon in a pan at such a high heat.

So if you're looking for healthier options, opt for nitrate free bacon, which is often made with organically grown nitrates from celery or beets. The good news is that these nitrates are not as bad as the synthetic sodium nitrites you'll find in regular bacon.

You can even make your own nitrate free bacon with a little extra work. You'll need to use the curing solution, seasonings and fresh sea salt you'd normally find in a commercial bacon product, then add a small amount of ascorbic acid or cherry juice powder to the mix, which is known to stop nitrites from converting to nitrosamines.

The final step is to let the meat cure for a few days in a brine solution. This will increase the flavor, color and crispness of the meat. Learn more about nitrate free bacon and what makes it special.

Some companies, like Finnebrogue, have partnered with a Spanish chemist to develop a new bacon flavour that doesn't contain nitrites. This is a major breakthrough, and it's a fantastic opportunity for consumers to enjoy a nitrate free, low calorie, high quality, gluten-free and nutrient-dense bacon. You can get more enlightened on this topic by reading here: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon.