초록

Residual nitrite levels in bacon can be lowered using a curing system of salt, nitric oxide-forming compound, such as sodium nitrite, erythorbate and a blend of sodium hexametaphosphate with a carbonate alkalizing agent, preferably sodium bicarbonate.

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1. A method for preparing cured bacon from pork bellies comprising contacting said pork bellies with a stable curing solution comprising an alkali metal chloride, a soluble nitric oxide forming compound, a color enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid and

1. A method for preparing cured bacon from pork bellies comprising contacting said pork bellies with a stable curing solution comprising an alkali metal chloride, a soluble nitric oxide forming compound, a color enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid and salts thereof and mixtures thereof and a member selected from the group consisting of (A) from about 93% to about 97% of an alkali metal hexametaphosphate and from about 7% to about 3% of a carbonate alkalizing agent and (B) from about 75% to about 85% of an alkali metal hexametaphosphate, and from about 7% to about 13% alkali metal acid pyrophosphate and from about 7% to about 13% carbonate alkalizing agent, the percentages in (A) or (B) totaling substantially 100% based on the weight of the components in subsections (A) or (B), the pH of the bellies after contact being about equivalent to the natural pH of the bellies. 2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said carbonate alkalizing agent is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonate and alkali metal bicarbonate. 3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said carbonate alkalizing agent is sodium bicarbonate. 4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said curing solution further includes sugar. 5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said color enhancing agent is sodium erythorbate. 6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said alkali metal is sodium. 7. The product of the method of claim 1. 8. In a method for preparing an aqueous stable curing solution for bacon comprising an alkali metal chloride, a soluble nitric oxide-forming compound, a color enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid and salts thereof and mixtures thereof and an alkaline phosphate, the improvement which comprises substituting for the alkaline phosphate in said aqueous solution, before, during or after addition of the other ingredients, a member selected from the group consisting of (A) from about 93% to about 97% sodium hexametaphosphate and from about 7% to about 3% of a carbonate alkalizing agent and (B) from about 75% to about 85% sodium hexametaphosphate, from about 7% to about 13% sodium acid pyrophosphate and from about 7% to about 13% carbonate alkalizing agent, the percentages in (A) or (B) totaling substantially 100% based on the weight of the components recited in subsections (A) or (B). 9. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein said carbonate alkalizing agent is sodium bicarbonate. 10. A method for preparing a cured bacon having low residual nitrite levels comprising contacting pork bellies with an aqueous curing solution comprising from about 10% to about 20% sodium chloride, an amount, at the level incorporated in the pork bellies, of a soluble nitric oxide-forming compound and a color enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid and salts thereof and mixtures thereof sufficient to provide residuals in the bacon of 120 ppm ±20 ppm nitrite as sodium nitrite and 600 ppm ±20% erythorbate as sodium erythorbate, respectively, and an amount of a phosphate composition sufficient to provide from about 0.25% to about 0.45% residual phosphate salt in the bacon, the pH of the pork bellies after contact being about equivalent to the natural pH of the pork bellies, said phosphate composition being selected from the group consisting of (A) from about 93% to about 97% sodium hexametaphosphate, and from about 3% to about 7% sodium bicarbonate and, (B) from about 75% to about 85% sodium hexametaphosphate, from about 7% to about 13% sodium acid pyrophosphate, and from about 7% to about 13% sodium bicarbonate, the percentages relative to the curing solution being by weight based on the total weight of the aqueous solution, the percentages under subsections (A) or (B) totaling substantially 100% based on the weight of the components recited in subsections (A) or (B). 11. Bacon, having a low residual nitrite level, comprising, as a curing agent therefor, an aqueous stable curing solution comprising from about 10% to about 20% sodium chloride, from about 0.05% to about 0.15% soluble nitric oxide-forming compound, an amount of erythorbate sufficient to provide a residual in the bacon of 600 ppm ±20% erythorbate calculated as sodium erythorbate, and from about 2.0% to about 4.5% of a composition selected from the group consisting of (A) from about 93% to about 97% sodium hexametaphosphate, and from about 3% to about 7% sodium bicarbonate, and (B) from about 75% to about 85% sodium hexametaphosphate, from about 7% to about 13% sodium acid pyrophosphate, and from about 7% to about 13% sodium bicarbonate, the percentages relative to the curing solution being by weight based on the total weight of the aqueous solution, the percentages in subsections (A) or (B) totaling substantially 100% based on the weight of the components recited in subsections (A) or (B). 12. An aqueous stable meat curing solution comprising sodium chloride, a soluble nitric oxide-forming compound, an erythorbate, an alkali metal hexametaphosphate and a carbonate alkalizing agent. 13. An aqueous stable curing solution for curing pork bellies comprising from about 10% to about 20% sodium chloride, from about 0.05% to about 0.15% soluble nitric oxide-forming compound, an amount of erythorbate sufficient to provide a residual in the pork bellies of 600 ppm ±20% erythorbate calculated as sodium erythorbate and from about 2.0% to about 4.5% of a composition selected from the group consisting of (A) from about 93% to about 97% sodium hexametaphosphate, and from about 3% to about 7% sodium bicarbonate, and (B) from about 75% to about 85% sodium hexametaphosphate, from about 7% to about 13% sodium acid pyrophosphate, and from about 7% to about 13% sodium bicarbonate, the percentages relative to the curing solution being by weight based on the total weight of the aqueous solution, the percentages in subsections (A) or (B) totaling substantially 100% based on the weight of the components recited in subsections (A) or (B).