This summer, while you are enjoying a hot dog at a barbecue or baseball game, stop and consider what gives it its characteristic flavor, color and texture. The answer is nitrite, a food additive that has been used for centuries to preserve meats, fish and poultry. Because nitrite safeguards cured meats against the most deadly foodborne bacterium known to man, Clostridium (C.) botulinum (the bacterium that causes botulism), its use is supported by the public health community. In the late 1970s, there were concerns about a potential cancer risk from a digestive reaction-product of nitrite called nitrosamines. So, in 1980, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture commissioned a comprehensive review of this food additive.
This study, conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), concluded that nitrite levels in cured meat have not been linked to the development of human cancers, and noted the beneficial antimicrobial activity of nitrite to inhibit spore-forming bacteria, particularly C. botulinum. Nevertheless, because of the controversy, the NAS recommended finding nitrite alternatives or ways to reduce nitrite levels in cured meats without reducing protection against botulism.
In response, the meat industry significantly lowered levels of added nitrite thereby reducing any risk of nitrosamine production. One method of reduction is combining nitrite with vitamin C. The human body generates much greater nitrite levels than are added to food. When water and foods such as carrots and green vegetables are consumed, we ingest nitrate, which our body converts to nitrite during digestion.
More than 85 percent of average daily intake of nitrate (and thus nitrite) comes from these sources.Given the amounts of naturally-derived nitrite, one must ask, "Considering the concerns raised in the 1970s, why does the body produce nitrite?" Nitrite, the end product of a biological process, is instrumental in promoting blood clotting, healing wounds and burns and boosting immune function to kill tumor cells.
Scientific studies have shown that during the healing process there is as much nitrite in a wound as in processed meats. Robert Cassens, Ph.D., professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison noted, "The research of respected organizations like the NAS shows that nitrite is the very ingredient that makes cured meats safe from the risk of botulism and ready-to-eat."The next time you are enjoying a hot dog, keep in mind that the same substance that provides a smoky flavor and appetizing color is playing an important role in food safety and public health.
