A preservation method that uses salt, and often nitrite or nitrate, to draw out water and control bacterial growth in foods such as bacon and ham.
A preservation method that uses salt, and often nitrite or nitrate curing salts, to draw water out of food and control bacterial growth in products such as bacon and ham.
Salt lowers the water activity of the food, making it harder for spoilage and harmful bacteria to grow, while nitrite helps control specific pathogens.
Nitrite helps inhibit Clostridium botulinum, contributes to the cured colour and flavour, and is a permitted additive with maximum limits set in the Food Standards Code.
No. Some cured products are shelf-stable while others still need refrigeration, so businesses must know which their product is and store and label it accordingly.
Under-curing can leave food unsafe, so the correct salt and curing-agent ratios, time and temperature must be followed, ideally with batch records.