Bacon and Botulism
Channel: NutritionFacts.org
Date: 2012-02-23

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DESCRIPTION: The nitrite preservatives in processed meats such as bologna, bacon, ham, and hot dogs form carcinogenic nitrosamines but also reduce the growth of botulism bacteria, forcing regulators to strike a balance between consumers risking cancer or a deadly form of food poisoning. Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/bacon-and-botulism/ and I'll try to answer it! This reminds me of the cooked meat carcinogen issue. If we undercook meat, then we can get food poisoning (see for example Fecal Bacteria Survey  - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/fecal-bacteria-survey/ , Chicken Out of UTIs  - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/chicken-out-of-utis/ , U.S. Meat Supply Flying at Half Staph - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/u-s-meat-supply-flying-at-half-staph/) but if we make sure meat is well-done, we risk exposure to carcinogens produced when muscle flesh is exposed to high temperatures (see Fast Food Tested For Carcinogens - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/fast-food-tested-for-carcinogens/ , Muscle Tremors Diet - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/muscle-tremors-diet/ , Carcinogens in Roasted Chicken - http://nutritionfacts.org/video/carcinogens-in-roasted-chicken/). Tomorrow I'll cover why nitrites from meat can be harmful while nitrites from nitrates in vegetables can be helpful. Can't wait for more on the latest in nutritional science? There are hundreds of other videos on more than a thousand subjects (http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/).

Please also check out my associated blog post http://nutritionfacts.org/blog/2012/03/22/using-greens-to-improve-athletic-performance/!

Image Credit: Emily Barney / Flickr.

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