What is uncured beef?

Answer 1

Cured products contain sodium nitrite and/or sodium nitrate, which are used to cure and preserve meat. The amount of nitrates and nitrites you ingest when eating cured products is negligible and does not pose any health risk.

The idea to cure meat began with a need to keep meat from spoiling. Salt, and saltpeter, the natural form of potassium nitrate, have been used as preservatives for centuries.

In the United States, meat products are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA defines uncured to indicate products that have not been preserved by adding sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate or a salt cure. So when you see uncured on the label, the label is informing you that the product does not contain added sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite.

Answer 2

Uncured bacon is sometimes shoulder cut pork but also pork bellies that haven't been preserved with salt or sugar. Ham is pink and the meaty portion of bacon is red because of added sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite.

Uncured bacon can be preserved with salt (sodium chloride) and/or sugar but does not have sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite added to maintain the pink or red color.

The USDA requires that products such as salt cured or smoked pork products that use Celery Powder instead of the nitrates and nitrites be labeled as uncured. Many brands of bacon that are most often Organic are labeled as Uncured because they do not use the raw chemical salts to keep the meat red or pink.

Answer 3

The law requires the word "uncured" on the label if you do not add nitrates to your meats.