Sodium Nitrate
Good or Bad?
What is sodium nitrate and how is it used?
Sodium nitrate is a type of salt that happens to be a particularly effective food preservative. It appears a white color and has a crystalline structure. A naturally occurring mineral, sodium nitrate is present in all kinds of vegetables (root veggies like carrots as well as leafy greens like celery and spinach) along with all sorts of fruits and grains. Basically, anything that grows from the ground draws sodium nitrate out of the soil.
Basic Facts
Sodium Nitrate is not as bad as people make it out to be! Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and its close relative sodium nitrite (NaNO2) are preservatives that you find in lots of processed meats. Foods like salami, hot dogs, pepperoni, bologna, ham, bacon and SPAM all normally contain sodium nitrate as one of the ingredients. It is basically a type of salt used to cure meats. There's not much sodium nitrate/nitrite in meats, and we consume sodium nitrate/nitrite from other foods as well, so it is not clear that they are harmful in the quantities we get from meats.
Some Pictures of Sodium nitrate
Why do we need Sodium Nitrate and why is it good?
Sodium nitrate is very important because it cures meats so they can be edible and it adds flavor to make them tasty. If we did not use sodium nitrate to cure our meats, they would not be as tasty, and they would be much less enjoyable. In conclusion, I am for sodium nitrate because it allows us to eat good foods such as a hot dog at a ball game, or some bacon at breakfast. It is very useful in that it cures meats and preserves them so they will be fresh and flavorful when we eat them.
Works Cited
http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00MevEDZtyhRzc/Sodium-Nitrate.jpg
"Facts About Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite." About.com Culinary Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"What Is Sodium Nitrate in Processed Meats, and Is It Harmful?" TLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Shandong Yuyuan Group Co., Ltd." Crystal Sodium Nitrite,View Sodium Nitrate ,yuyuan Product Details from on Alibaba.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Facts About Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite." About.com Culinary Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"What Is Sodium Nitrate in Processed Meats, and Is It Harmful?" TLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Shandong Yuyuan Group Co., Ltd." Crystal Sodium Nitrite,View Sodium Nitrate ,yuyuan Product Details from on Alibaba.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.