Nitrates/Nitrites

I first heard about nitrates when I was pregnant with David. Prior to that point I never worried about what was in processed meats, because I had been a vegetarian for nearly a decade. When I started eating meat again I knew I would need to read up on the food restrictions for pregnant women that my doctor was recommending.

I remembered hearing that doctors want you to limit the consumption of lunch meat while pregnant because it could possibly contain listeriosis (an infection caused by bacteria) and that you should always heat your lunch meat in the microwave. As I researched further I realized that listeriosis wasn't the only concern with processed meats, but that nitrates and nitrites were equally dangerous.

I adopted a policy when I became pregnant with my first son - if it is unsafe for my unborn child, it is probably unsafe for me even when I'm not pregnant. Thinking this way has changed everything from the way I clean my house to the drugs I am willing to take to the foods I choose to put into my body.

What are nitrates/nitrites? What is the difference?

Nitrates are the salts of nitric acid. Nitrites are the salts of nitrous acid.

Sodium nitrate is found naturally in green, leafy vegetables. The reason it is used as a food preservative is because it is antimicrobial. Other uses for sodium nitrate - used in the production of fireworks, instant cold packs, fertilizer, pottery, and rocket fuel; used to treat waste water.

Sodium nitrite is a preservative, but is also used because it helps keep the color of the food from changing over time. Other uses for sodium nitrite - used in the production of fabric dyes, rubber, and metal coatings; used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning.

What foods contain nitrates/nitrites?

Bacon, ham, frankfurters, lunch meats, smoked fish, corned beef, etc. Basically any of the meat you find in the deli area at the grocery store.

Leafy greens can have high levels of nitrites when they are commercially grown, especially when fertilizers with high levels of nitrogen are used.

Nitrates form in cooked vegetables during storage. It is suggested that you avoid consuming reheated vegetables (especially green veggies).

Why should I care about nitrates? The FDA says they're safe in moderation.

The FDA believes that small amounts do not pose a risk, but advises that pregnant women and infants do not consume foods containing this additive. In fact, the USDA does not allow foods marketed to babies, infants and toddlers to contain nitrates or nitrites. This is because the consumption of nitrates can lead to methemoglobinemia in babies, children, and even some adults that are susceptible (those with inherited mutations, certain vegans/vegetarians with insufficient stomach acid, people with food allergies, asthmatics, etc.).

Study after study has shown that when animals are exposed to high levels of the food additive, they are more likely to develop cancers (especially of the esophagus, stomach, large intestine, bladder and lungs).

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is an FDA watchdog agency that rates food additives for safety, giving each additive one of the following rankings: safe, cut back, caution, certain people should avoid, and avoid (unsafe in amounts consumed or is very poorly tested and not worth any risk). Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are given an "AVOID" ranking - here is why:

"Adding nitrite to food can lead to the formation of small amounts of potent cancer-causing chemicals (nitrosamines), particularly in fried bacon. Nitrite, which also occurs in saliva and forms from nitrate in several vegetables, can undergo the same chemical reaction in the stomach. Companies now add ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid to bacon to inhibit nitrosamine formation, a measure that has greatly reduced the problem. While nitrite and nitrate cause only a small risk, they are still worth avoiding.

Several studies have linked consumption of cured meat and nitrite by children, pregnant women, and adults with various types of cancer. Although those studies have not yet proven that eating nitrite in bacon, sausage, and ham causes cancer in humans, pregnant women would be prudent to avoid those products.

The meat industry justifies its use of nitrite and nitrate by claiming that it prevents the growth of bacteria that cause botulism poisoning. That’s true, but freezing and refrigeration could also do that, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a safe method using lactic-acid-producing bacteria. The use of nitrite and nitrate has decreased greatly over the decades, because of refrigeration and restrictions on the amounts used. The meat industry could do the public’s health a favor by cutting back even further. Because nitrite is used primarily in fatty, salty foods, consumers have important nutritional reasons for avoiding nitrite-preserved foods."

"But I love bacon. I couldn't live without it!"

I hear you loud and clear. I didn't eat meat for nearly ten years and the first "meat" I decided to consume once I made the decision to become a carnivore again was bacon. A life without bacon just sounds sad.

Prior to the use of these food additives, people preserved their meats through salt curing, smoking, and lacto-fermenting. In fact, you can still find brands that practice these methods (if you're willing to pay a little extra for them).

We try to purchase most of our meats through local farmers, but one of our favorite grocery store brands is Applegate Farms. We enjoy their Natural Sunday Bacon. I even feel safe saving the grease from this bacon for other uses in the kitchen. Gabe loves their Natural Hot Dogs and I feel safe giving them to him as an occasional treat. Both of these products are organic, antibiotic/hormone-free and vegetarian-fed. I prefer buying meat that is pastured, but when you're in a traditional grocery store you sometimes have to settle.

If you're looking for lunch meats, Hormel Natural Choice brands do not contain nitrates/nitrates or MSG. Even large chain stores sell this product.

You don't have to give up your favorite foods to avoid these potentially dangerous food additives. There are so many choices out there for you!

-Jessica

**I have not been paid by any of the companies mentioned above to promote their products. These are just products that I feed to my family.**

Sources:

Fallon, Sally. Nourishing traditions the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats.
Washington, DC: NewTrends Pub., 1999. Print.

"Food Additives ~ CSPIs Food Safety." Center for Science in the Public Interest. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

"Nitrate -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .