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Natural foods. Comply with USDA Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book.
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1. Natural and organic foods 20+ % growth per year
Slowed in 2008/2009 but still positive
Consumers will pay very significant premiums
10 – 40 % for most
200 % or more for meat and poultry
2. Natural foods Comply with USDA Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book
3. Nitrite and nitrate are considered “chemical preservatives” which are not permitted in natural foods.
4. Organic foods Governed by Organic Foods Production Act (1990)-specific practices/substances
Products and ingredients must be certified organic (USDA) (95+%) and may use USDA organic seal
Meat must produced using organic management and from a certified farm
Ingredients in processed foods must be organic also (labels: “100% organic”, “organic” (95%) or “made with organic ingredients” (at least 70%)
Nitrate and nitrite are specifically prohibited
5. Natural and organic frankfurters, hams, bacon, luncheon meats, etc. must be labeled “Uncured” because curing agents (nitrite and nitrate) cannot be added to these products.
6. “Any product, such as frankfurters and corned beef, for which there is a standard in this part and to which nitrate or nitrite is permitted or required to be added, may be prepared without nitrate or nitrite and labeled with such standard name when immediately preceded with the term “Uncured” in the same size an style of lettering as the rest of such standard name: Provided, that the product is found by the Administrator to be similar in size, flavor, consistency and general appearance to such products commonly prepared with nitrate and nitrite…”
9 CFR 319.2
7. Yet, most of these natural “uncured” products have very typical cured meat color, flavor and appearance, and chemical analyses confirm the presence of nitrite and nitrate.
12. Commercially available celery juice powder (dried celery juice) contains 25,000 – 30,000 ppm of nitrate (2.5 – 3.0 %)
13. “Uncured” labeling of frankfurters, hams, bacon, etc. that have typical cured meat properties, and that contain nitrate and nitrite is misleading and technically incorrect.
14. “Natural” curing processes utilize natural ingredients high in nitrate such as vegetable products, and a nitrate-reducing starter culture to produce nitrite from nitrate, therefore a much more appropriate label would be “Naturally cured.”
15. Quality issues with natural and organic cured meats Color development and stability
Flavor and flavor stability
Other antioxidants can protect flavor but cannot produce cured flavor
Nitrite concentration produced by “natural” processes is impossible to determine because of high reactivity
16. Safety issues with natural and organic cured meats Nitrite is a highly effective antimicrobial, particularly for protection from Clostridium botulinum in vacuum packaged products
Excess nitrite is a risk factor for formation of n-nitrosamines
Nitrite concentrations produced by natural processes are unknown
17. Needs Challenge studies with microbial pathogens.
Standardized processes that will result in controlled production of nitrite during natural cures.
More appropriate and informative labeling regulations for natural and organic processed meats