Nitrates (NO3) are naturally occurring compounds that are created when plants break down nitrogen during photosynthesis. When nitrates come in contact with certain bacteria they break down into nitrites.

Vegetables: Naturally occurring nitrates are primarily found in green leafy vegetables and root vegetables.
Drinking Water: Nitrates in groundwater are caused by fertilizers, manure, animal feedlots, municipal wastewater, and septic systems.
Cured Meats: Meat products such as ham, hot dogs, and bacon can be cured using the naturally occurring nitrates found in vegetables, or through the addition of chemical curing agents like sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite.

1. To give cured meat such as ham, bacon, and hot dogs their pink color.
2. To prevent the growth of bacteria that can lead to food-borne illnesses such as Botulism.
3. To preserve products so they can have a longer shelf-life.
4. To provide the distinctive cured flavor that we're accustomed to in ham, bacon, and hot dogs.

Yes, products labeled “uncured” contain nitrites derived from the celery powder and sea salt in the ingredients.  However, they do not contain synthetic sodium nitrite.

The nitrites in our products occur when the nitrates in the celery powder and sea salt react with lactic acid starter culture and convert into nitrites. Without these natural nitrites our uncured products would be gray.
Conventional companies use synthetic sodium nitrite to cure their products. According to the Food Chemical Codex (3rd addition, National Academy of Sciences), industrial sodium nitrite is allowed to contain residual heavy metals, arsenic and lead.
While some may say, “nitrites are nitrites,” those derived from celery juice and sea salt are clearly different!

The USDA requires that we put this claim on our packaging to let consumers know that the product was cured without sodium nitrite, which is the industry standard.  Traditionally, products that weren’t cured with sodium nitrite were not considered safe, so the claim served as a warning to consumers that the product was not cured using the recommended method.

The USDA defines an uncured product as one that has been preserved without the use of synthetic sodium nitrite. Since Applegate uses the nitrites derived from celery juice and sea salt to cure its hams, bacon and hot dogs, the USDA requires our labels to say “Uncured" and "No Nitrites or Nitrates Added" to let consumers know that the product was not cured using the standard industry practice.

During the cooking process, especially under high heat, nitrites can combine with amines, naturally present in meat, to form N-nitroso compounds or Nitrosamines. These compounds are considered carcinogens.

Cured meats contain relatively low nitrite levels. According to the American Meat Institute, nearly 93% of the nitrites that we ingest on a daily basis are derived from vegetables and water. Less than 5% come from cured meats.
At Applegate we maintain a commonsense approach to food. Our philosophy is “Eat Less Meat, But Better Meat.” We believe that a naturally cured product that is eaten in moderation, can be part of a healthful well-balanced diet.

At the present time, natural and organic meat companies, like Applegate, must adhere to USDA regulations regarding the language we use on our labels regarding nitrites. Applegate has recommended clearer language in the past, which unfortunately was rejected by the USDA.
Applegate is currently filing a formal petition with the USDA with recommendations for improved language on labels regarding nitrites.