Difference Between Cured and Uncured Meat

MEAT TECHNOLOGY: PRESERVATION OF MEAT

Diagram

Figure 1: Cured meat gets nitrite added directly; uncured meat gets it from a natural source such as celery powder. Drawn in our own style from the Curing chapter (p. 46) of Pearson and Tauber, Processed Meats.

Introduction

Cured meat and uncured meat sit side by side on the shelf and look much the same, but the difference is where the nitrite comes from. Cured meat is made with nitrite or nitrate added directly, usually as sodium nitrite, while uncured meat is made without added nitrite or nitrate and uses a natural source such as celery powder instead. Pearson and Tauber list nitrite among the curing agents in the Curing chapter (p. 46).

The core difference is the source of the curing agent, not the absence of nitrite: in uncured meat, nitrate from celery powder is changed into nitrite by bacteria in the meat, so nitrite is present in both. The label says uncured because nothing was added directly.

Quick comparison

Table 1: Cured meat compared with Uncured meat

Scientific explanation

Definition

Cured meat is meat preserved with salt and with nitrite or nitrate added as a curing agent. The Curing chapter of Processed Meats lists the curing agents as sodium chloride, nitrite, ascorbate or erythorbate, and possibly sodium phosphate, sucrose, dextrose or corn syrup and seasonings.

Uncured meat is meat preserved without nitrite or nitrate added directly. Instead a natural source such as celery powder is used, and the nitrate it carries is turned into nitrite in the meat. The books used here describe the curing agents for cured meat; the celery powder route is the natural source method used for products sold as uncured.

Working principle

In cured meat, nitrite reacts in the muscle to give the pink cured colour and the cured flavour, and it helps stop the growth of harmful bacteria while the salt lowers water activity. Because the maker adds a measured amount, the result is steady from batch to batch.

In uncured meat, the same chemistry happens, but the nitrite comes second hand: bacteria in the meat change the nitrate from the celery powder into nitrite. The colour and flavour are the same kind, but the amount of nitrite that forms depends on how much nitrate the celery powder carried, so it varies more.

Apparatus

Both need the same curing equipment: vats or tanks for brine curing, or tables for dry rubbing, and a cool room for the cure to spread. Uncured meat needs no different apparatus, only a different curing mix. The books used here name no single standard instrument for this comparison.

Measurement procedure

For cured meat, the measured nitrite and salt mix is rubbed in or dissolved in brine, and the meat is held cool until the cure spreads through. For uncured meat, the celery powder and salt mix is applied the same way, and the meat is held so the bacteria can turn the nitrate into nitrite before the product is cooked or smoked.

The books used here give the curing agents and the chapter for cured meat; they do not give a single standard recipe for uncured meat, because the natural source varies and makers adjust it.

Factors affecting readings

The amount of nitrate in the natural source is the main factor for uncured meat: celery powder varies by crop and batch, so the nitrite formed varies too. Temperature matters for both, because the cure spreads faster when warm but bacteria also grow faster, so curing is done cool. Time, meat thickness and salt level matter for both in the same way.

Formulas and calculations

The books used for this article give no formula for this comparison, so none is given here. The comparison is qualitative: it rests on definitions, materials and method, not on a calculation.

Industrial applications

• Cured meat is used for ham and bacon, where a steady pink colour and flavour are wanted in every batch.
• Cured meat is used for corned beef and cured sausages, where reliable preservation matters.
• Uncured meat is used for bacon and ham sold as natural or no nitrates added, for buyers who want no directly added nitrite.
• Uncured meat is used for natural hot dogs and deli meats, where the label is part of the product.

Advantages and limitations

• Cured meat, advantage: steady and controlled, so colour, flavour and safety are the same in every batch.
• Cured meat, limitation: the label lists added nitrite, which some buyers want to avoid.
• Uncured meat, advantage: no nitrite added directly, which suits the natural label buyers ask for.
• Uncured meat, limitation: the nitrite level varies with the natural source, so control is less exact and the price is higher.

FAQ

Does uncured meat contain no nitrite at all?

No: uncured meat still contains nitrite, formed in the meat from the nitrate in celery powder. Uncured means no nitrite was added directly, not that the meat is nitrite free.

Is uncured meat safer than cured meat?

Not by the chemistry: both contain nitrite and both are preserved the same way. The difference is the source of the nitrite and the label, not the safety of the meat itself.

Why is uncured bacon still pink?

Because nitrite still forms in it from the celery powder, and nitrite is what makes the pink cured colour. Without that nitrite forming, the bacon would cook up grey or brown.

Why does uncured meat cost more?

Because celery powder and other natural sources cost more than sodium nitrite, and the process needs more care to get a steady result from a varying natural source.

Can I cure meat at home without nitrite?

Salt alone will dry and preserve meat, but it will not give the pink colour or the cured flavour, and it will not stop harmful bacteria the way nitrite does. Home curing without nitrite needs great care and is not covered by the books used here.

References and further reading

• A. M. Pearson and F. W. Tauber, Processed Meats, Springer, 2012 (Google Books page read)