Using preservative in processed meats
Preservatives use in processed meats is strictly regulated and monitored.
Some can have adverse affects on health if not used within the regulated limits; in particular:
- nitrates & nitrites in meat can be converted in the stomach or during high temperature frying to chemicals understood to cause cancer
- sulphur dioxide exposure causes breathing difficulties in some people
- some uses of preservatives are incompatible with other manufacturing processes.
In general, preservatives are used to maintain food safety and prolong product shelf life.
Sodium nitrite or potassium nitrite play a key role in the safety of processed meats.
Nitrites - or, in slow cured meats, sodium or potassium nitrates which are gradually converted to nitrites - are the key ingredients in meat cures. They provide excellent protection against botulism in processed meats. They help give cured meats their characteristic colour and flavour.
Other preservatives inhibit the growth of microorganisms. The sulphites - sources of sulphur dioxide - also inhibit the growth of microorganisms while retaining the bloom of red meat.
Licensees are encouraged to download the Authority’s guide: Preservative use in processed meats (pdf, 152KB) and check that their processed meat formulations comply with the Food Standards Code.
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