Are Cured Meats Safe to Eat?

The Full Story

Human consumption of organic, natural, and minimally processed foods has increased dramatically in recent years, and this is likely due to our overall desire to eat healthier and live longer. Many grocery stores offer wide selections of natural foods, which do not contain artificial flavors, colors, or chemical preservatives.

Uncured or naturally cured meats are often considered to be a healthier alternative to traditional cured meats. The process of curing involves the addition of nitrites or nitrates and salt to meat to enhance food preservation and reduce bacterial contamination. Nitrites in particular are very effective at killing harmful bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes. Because of these antimicrobial properties, the use of sodium nitrite as a meat curing agent was initially authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1925, and since then there have been no reported cases of botulism associated with commercially prepared cured meats such as ham, bologna, and bacon. However, the use of traditional curing methods involving nitrites or nitrates prevents these meats from being labeled as organic or natural.

Some people are concerned about the safety of the use of nitrates and nitrites in the meat curing process. In addition to being used as curing agents, nitrates and nitrites are common components of a healthy human diet. Approximately 80% of our daily nitrate intake comes from eating vegetables, and our gastrointestinal system helps to convert nitrates to nitrites. While both dietary vegetable intake and the addition of small amounts of nitrates and nitrites to meat products can have beneficial effects on our health, the consumption of larger amounts of nitrates or nitrites can be poisonous. The United States Food and Drug Administration has established regulations concerning the amounts of nitrates and nitrites that can be safely added to meats and fish. People who swallow larger amounts of these products may develop a potentially life-threatening condition called methemoglobinemia. Nitrosamines are chemicals derived from nitrates and nitrites; long-term exposure to high levels of these chemicals has been associated with the development of cancer. 

Since most people do not eat large amounts of cured meats on a daily basis, the adverse health risks of occasional exposures to nitrates, nitrites, or nitrosamines are unlikely to be significant. To avoid additional exposures to nitrites and nitrates, some people may prefer to eat uncured or naturally cured meats. Many “uncured” meats are treated with vegetable byproducts such as celery juice instead of nitrates or nitrites. The use of celery or other vegetable juices, instead of nitrates or nitrites, allows meat producers to meet labeling regulations for organic or natural meat products, but may also result in an increased risk of bacterial contamination. Interestingly, since vegetables are an excellent dietary source of nitrates, the use of “natural” meat curing processes involving vegetable juices will still lead to the presence of nitrates and nitrites in people who consume uncured or naturally cured meat products. Since people who eat uncured meats are still exposed to nitrates and nitrites, there’s likely little health benefit to be gained from eating uncured meats instead of cured meats.

For questions about poisonings from cured meats, get help online with webPOISONCONTROL or call 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free and available 24 hours a day.

Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD
Medical Toxicologist