Curing of meat using organic nitrites

A composition for the curing of meats comprising a meat curing pickle solution free of alkali metal nitrites and nitrates and containing an organic nitrite curing agent of boiling point between about 15.degree. and 150.degree.C, said organic nitrite being emulsified in said solution in an amount providing the equivalent nitrite requirement of conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solutions.

A composition for the curing of meats comprising a pickle solution free of alkali metal nitrites and nitrates and containing emulsified therein an alkyl nitrite, in which the alkyl group contains 3 to 8 carbon atoms, said alkyl nitrite having a boiling point in the range of about 15.degree. to 150.degree.C and being present in an amount sufficient to provide a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solution and an ascorbate or isoascorbate.

A composition for the curing of meats comprising an aqueous medium containing sodium chloride, a sugar, sodium isoascorbate, n-butyl nitrite and an edible emulsifier, said medium being free of alkali metal nitrites and nitrates and the n-butyl nitrite being present in an amount sufficient to provide a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solution.

A method for the curing of meats comprising contacting the meat with a curing solution containing an organic nitrite of boiling point in the range of about 15.degree. to 150.degree.C, said organic nitrite being emulsified in said solution in an amount sufficient to provide a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solution.

A method for reducing the nitrosamine content of fried, grilled or broiled cured meat comprising curing said meat with a curing solution which is free of alkali metal nitrites and nitrates and which contains ascorbate and isoascorbate and an organic nitrite of boiling point in the range of about 15.degree. to 150.degree.C, said organic nitrite being emulsified in said solution in an amount sufficient to provide a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solution.

A method for curing bacon so as to reduce or eliminate the formation of nitrosamines when the cured bacon is fried, broiled or grilled comprising curing said bacon with a curing solution which is free from alkali metal nitrites and nitrates and which contains ascorbate or isoascorbate and an organic nitrite of boiling point in the range of about 15.degree. to 150.degree.C, said organic nitrite being emulsified in said solution in an amount sufficient to provide a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing solution, said organic nitrite having a boiling point sufficiently low to enable it to volatilize at frying, broiling or grilling temperatures.

A method of preparing a meat curing composition comprising emulsifying an organic nitrite, having a boiling point in the range of about 15.degree. to 150.degree.C, into an aqueous medium containing other meat curing components in an amount providing a nitrite equivalent of a conventional alkali metal nitrite curing composition.