Tag: Curing

According to the USDA, a single medium strip of cooked bacon can contain over 170mg of sodium, highlighting its famously high salt content. This raises a critical question for many consumers: is bacon filled with salt, and if so, why is it necessary for its production?

According to the World Health Organization, processed meat is any meat transformed by salting, curing, or smoking to enhance flavor and preservation. So, is roast beef considered a processed meat? The short answer is that it largely depends on whether it's homemade or store-bought deli style.

According to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), processed meats, including bacon, are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning there is strong evidence they cause cancer. This stark classification often leads to confusion about how bacon fits into broader food processing categories like 'processed' versus 'ultra-processed.'

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), processed meat is a known carcinogen, which leads to a crucial question: is mutton a processed meat? The answer depends entirely on how the meat is prepared and preserved, not just its source.

For over 8,000 years, ancient civilizations have used sodium chloride, or common table salt, to prevent food spoilage. This time-tested method of food preservation relies on powerful chemical and physical properties to create an environment where harmful microorganisms cannot thrive.

Records indicate ancient civilizations were preserving meat with salt as early as 3000 BCE, but the practice of adding pure nitrates in bacon is a much more recent, modern development driven by scientific discovery. It wasn't until the late 19th century that the specific role of nitrates and nitrites in curing was understood, transitioning the process from folk art to a controlled science.

While fresh pork has a naturally slightly acidic pH of 5.4-5.8, the process of curing significantly impacts the final product. Is ham considered acidic in a dietary context, and what does that mean for your body's pH balance? This article explores the science behind ham's acidity and its nutritional profile.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), processed meat is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, indicating strong evidence that it causes cancer. A classic example of processed red meat is bacon, which is typically derived from pork and preserved through curing and smoking.

According to the USDA, fresh ham is the leg of a pig that has not been preserved by curing or smoking. This means that yes, there is ham that is not processed, but it is not what you might expect to find in the deli section of the grocery store.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), processed meats are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence linking them to cancer in humans. This classification includes items that are preserved by curing, salting, smoking, or other methods, which often leads to confusion about products like deli turkey breast.