What are nitrites, the controversial additives found in cold-cuts?

Present in around 75% of cured-meat products, nitrites and nitrates (E249: potassium nitrite, E250: sodium nitrite, E251: sodium nitrate, E252: potassium nitrate) are the subject of an Anses report suggesting a link between their consumption and colon cancer. Nitrites are found in foods, especially meat products such as cooked ham, bacon, sausages and cooked sausages.

What are nitrites used for and why are they harmful to health?

In processed meat products, nitrates and nitrites are used primarily as additives for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and also for their effect on product color. In fact, nitrates and nitrites are added to limit the development of bacteria responsible for diseases such as salmonellosis, listeriosis and botulism. Nitrates and nitrites are also excellent preservatives, helping to extend product life by limiting rancidity and enhancing flavor and visual stability.

The French National Food Safety Authority continues its research in this area and encourages charcuterie manufacturers to limit their use.

The solutions suggested by André Bazin for nitrite removal ?

Since 2019, our company has been working on the reduction and substitution of nitrites. It took several hundred hours of research to successfully replace these additives in our products, while maintaining the sanitary, organoleptic and technical qualities of our products.

In order to guarantee consumers a healthy and natural product, we had to reconsider our working methods, equipment and production organization.

While our teams have been able to guarantee the taste and quality of our products, the elimination of nitrite-based salts has led to significant changes in habits : shorter shelf life, duller product color and more technical production.

As a result of this work, all of our product lines are now available with nitrite-free salt: Cooked Ham, Bacon & Lardons, Bacon, Poultry, Beef, Sausages and Chorizo. It's a commitment that André Bazin's teams are proud of, and one that today allows consumers to rediscover the authentic taste of healthy, natural cold cuts.

Ressource :

Avis révisé et rapport de l’Anses relatif aux risques associés à la consommation de nitrites et de nitrates (juillet 2022).