Cured foods: health effects

TY - ENCYC

T1 - Cured foods

T2 - health effects

AU - Ruiz Carrascal, Jorge

PY - 2015/9/14

Y1 - 2015/9/14

N2 - Curing is among the most ancient preservation technologies for foodstuffs; it involves the addition of salt together with nitrate or nitrite. The technological value of this processing is unquestionable, since it helps to create a stable red/pink color in meat products, shows a protective role in oxidative reactions of lipids and proteins, improves the flavor of products, and, even more importantly, exhibits a very unique antimicrobial effect on Clostridium botulinum. However, the potential implication of nitrates and nitrites in the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, both in the food and in the human body, has led to a worldwide debate about the allowance of nitrate/nitrite use.

AB - Curing is among the most ancient preservation technologies for foodstuffs; it involves the addition of salt together with nitrate or nitrite. The technological value of this processing is unquestionable, since it helps to create a stable red/pink color in meat products, shows a protective role in oxidative reactions of lipids and proteins, improves the flavor of products, and, even more importantly, exhibits a very unique antimicrobial effect on Clostridium botulinum. However, the potential implication of nitrates and nitrites in the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, both in the food and in the human body, has led to a worldwide debate about the allowance of nitrate/nitrite use.

U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00207-5

DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00207-5

M3 - Encyclopedia chapter

SN - 978-0-12-384947-2

SP - 338

EP - 342

BT - Encyclopedia of food and health

A2 - Caballero, Benjamin

A2 - Finglas, Paul

A2 - Toldrá, Fidel

PB - Elsevier

ER -