Why is bacon sometimes dyed green?

Maybe lovers bacon Have you ever been surprised to open a package and find that it is painted? Green colour. The first reaction is to think that he is in bad shape. However, when this happens to you a few times, you discover that perhaps it is something typical of meat rather than microbial poisoning.

And so it is. In fact, bacon that is dyed green is not contaminated. Just, chemical reaction whose product has this curious connotation. The problem is that the scientists who described this reaction in 2012 were unable to answer whether danger of consumption. Moreover, little research has been conducted on this issue since then.

Since it is not contaminant, it does not appear toxic in the bottle, but eating it may not be the best idea. So what is it that gives bacon its green color? It’s interesting to know them, because they themselves are already quite controversial ingredients.

The reaction that turns bacon green

Before we begin, it should be noted that if green is seen as dots or accompanied by other colors there might be mold. In that case, of course, the bacon is bad,

However, in other cases the green color is due to something known as nitrite burn. This occurs when chemical compounds that act as preservatives, called nitrites, react with protein. myoglobin. The latter is naturally found in meat, since its function is to transport oxygen in the muscles. It is unknown why it does not always react with nitrites, since green burns are only occasionally observed and nitrites are the main ingredient that prevents spoilage in meat.

Let’s talk about risks

There is no consensus regarding the risk that consumption green bacon. It would be better to throw it away just in case. We might think that the key is don’t use nitrites. But not only for this chemical reaction. Also because there are those who claim that nitrites are dangerous. Even carcinogenic. Let’s see what’s true about this.

Nitrites and nitrates are two chemical compounds consisting of nitrogen and oxygen, which are used as a preservative due to their ability to stop the growth of microbes. They are used not only in the production of sausages such as bacon. We can also find them in other foods such as cheese, wine or even vegetables.

In fact, vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, contain them naturally because They take them out of the ground. Once consumed, they can be transformed into nitrites in several ways, especially by bacteria in the oral or gut microbiota.

The problem is that these nitrites can interfere with reactions that produce products called nitrosamines, which are considered dangerous. In particular, it has been observed that they can cause cancer.

Can we guarantee this?

This leads us to think that the main danger of bacon is not that nitrites react and cause a green spot, but that nitrites themselves cause cancer. But here we must take into account three issues.

First of all, it’s red meat. as such It is already considered carcinogenic if consumed in large quantities. It may also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. Added nitrites are the least important. This is where the second issue comes into play: nitrites are essential. For save the bacon and other similar sausages in supermarkets for a long time, these are one of the most effective preservatives.

Finally, it should be noted that there have been studies that suggest nitrite levels consumed in this manner are not harmful. In fact, it is estimated that only 5% of nitrates consumed in food come from supplements. Something similar will happen with nitrites. Therefore, we will in no way say that eating bacon is healthy. No way. But it is not precisely because of nitrites that cause these green burns, but for many other reasons.