What is sodium nitrate and why we do NOT use it

Hallo Jerky Nation!

"We make our beef jerky from the finest Austrian beef and strictly refuse to use any chemicals. But what chemicals are we even talking about here? In two short blog articles, we will address the topic and explain to you what we do NOT want in our jerky."

The first villain of the food industry that we will briefly talk about today is called sodium nitrate.

Nitrates in and of themselves are not dangerous. In the meat processing industry, sodium nitrate is typically used as an additive. Why? In short: meat retains its red color. This can even make old meat look good.

"Why don't we use it? Sodium nitrates are converted into nitrites in food as well as in the human body. Nitrites have been shown to have vasodilating and blood pressure-lowering effects. Higher doses of nitrites can lead to poisoning. But that's not all, it gets worse."

Nitrite can be converted in the body to nitrosamines when consumed simultaneously with meat or milk protein. Nitrosamines are proven to be highly carcinogenic.

Conclusion: our meat may not be bright red, but there is nothing in Simple Jerky that is proven to be carcinogenic. Therefore, we graciously forgo sodium nitrate!

Almost all jerky manufacturers, including "small" manufacturers, use sodium nitrate as a "preservative." In my small online research, I found only one jerky in the German-speaking area that does not contain sodium nitrate. Consumers are often lured with phrases like "health-conscious diet," "healthy dried meat snack," and "Paleo diet."

"How healthy is this jerky when carcinogenic substances are added that don't have to be? Our production is more elaborate because we do without certain additives. However, we can confidently call our jerky a natural snack and do not mislead anyone."