Food safety is of the utmost importance. Contracting botulism bacteria from the foods you eat can result in serious illness, and commercial food manufacturers may use food additives to preserve food, reducing your chances of coming into contact with bacteria from spoiled food. Potassium nitrite is used in curing and preserving food; it also helps some foods retain their color. However, evidence suggest that consuming nitrites, over time, might be harmful to your health.
Deli Meats
Deli meats, also known as lunch meats, commonly contain potassium nitrites to help improve their shelf life. The "Nutrition Action Healthletter" notes that in addition to preventing the growth of botulism in these sandwich meats, potassium nitrites add flavor and stop the meat from turning gray or brown. It also reports that this compound adds sodium, which can cause health problems if the sodium in your diet reaches dangerous levels. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day. A 100-g serving of extra-lean pre-packaged deli turkey-ham contains almost a full serving of the recommended sodium intake for a day --- 1,038 mg, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database.
Hot Dogs
Many brands of hot dogs contain nitrites, including potassium nitrite, to both prevent spoilage and retain color. There is some controversy about the use of potassium nitrites in hot dogs because the food is so popular among children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration required hot dog manufacturers to put a warning label on hot dogs about their nitrite content in 1995 due to some scientific evidence that noted a correlation between nitrites in hot dogs and childhood leukemia and brain tumors.
Sausage
Potassium nitrite commonly finds use as a preservative in cured sausages. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires commercial sausage manufacturers to keep levels of potassium nitrite and other nitrites to certain levels --- no more than 200 parts per million of residual nitrite, according to Elk Mountain Products. In addition to adding stability to cured sausage, it affects flavor and color. The National Center for Home Food Preservation notes that nitrites such as potassium nitrite convert to nitric oxide, which combine with a meat pigment, resulting in a color typical of cured meat. The website warns that when using potassium nitrite to cure meats such as sausage at home, use caution --- high levels can be toxic. A toxic dose ranges from 30 to 35 g in a single dose, according to the University of Minnesota Extension.
References
- American Heart Association: Sodium (Salt or Sodium Chloride)
- Nutrition Action Healthletter: Luncheon meats: bologna or baloney?
- Practically Edible: Potassium Nitrite
- Elk Mountain Products: Nitrites - Food Poisoning
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: Curing and Smoking
- University of Minnesota Extension: Nitrite in Meat
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