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Curing and smoking
Author(s) -
HOLMES ALAN
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-3010.1991.tb01033.x
Subject(s) - curing (chemistry) , ascorbic acid , smoke , nitrite , chemistry , flavour , food science , distillation , environmental science , environmental chemistry , pulp and paper industry , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , engineering , nitrate
Summary Curing and smoking are ancient methods of food preservation in which the combined microbial inhibitory effect of reduced water content and curing salts/smoke is accompanied by characteristic flavour and colour change. This paper describes the development of our understanding of the chemical changes and microbial stability on which the modern industry is based. Cured and smoked foods may contain undesirable components, but which are minimised by modern techniques. Ascorbic acid reduces the possibility of the formation of nitrosamines from nitrite in cured products. Carcinogens naturally present in wood smoke can be reduced by condensation and fractional distillation to produce a ‘liquid smoke’.