Catalina Food Solutions introduces new ingredient for nitrite-free meat products
Launch aims to help the industry respond to demand for more transparent formulations, simpler labels and alternatives to certain additives traditionally used in processed meat.
Catalina Food Solutions, a global manufacturer and developer of natural food ingredients and customized formulations for meat and seafood products, presents Nitrite-Free. For Real, a new natural ingredient for meat products developed to help the industry respond to demand for more transparent formulations, simpler labels and alternatives to certain additives traditionally used in processed meat.
In the United States, the Make America Healthy Again movement is intensifying the debate around ultra-processed foods, additives and food reformulation. In December 2020, USDA-FSIS said it intends to conduct rulemaking to propose to prohibit the statements, “no nitrate or nitrite added” and “uncured” on products that have been processed using any source of nitrates or nitrites. That rulemaking has not progressed to date.
Catalina finds the issue of nitrites in meat products to be particularly relevant since, in 2015, the World Health Organization classified processed meat as carcinogenic to humans —Group 1—identifying among the mechanisms of concern the possible formation of nitrosamines, chemical compounds associated with the risk of colorectal cancer. From a chemical standpoint, the origin of nitrite—synthetic or vegetable-based—does not eliminate its role in curing chemistry or in the possible formation of nitrosamines.
This shift in purchasing behavior toward nitrite-free offerings is already visible in the market. According to Worldpanel by Numerator, sales of bacon cured with nitrites fell by 7.3% in value during the 12 weeks leading up to January 2025, compared with the same period the previous year. By contrast, nitrite-free alternatives grew by 21.7% over the same period, pointing to a growing preference for meat products formulated without nitrites.
Catalina said that the commercially named “uncured” product is, in reality, a disguised natural curing product. Both in conventional curing with additives and in natural curing methods, the nitrite ion triggers its four technological functions: preservation, antioxidant effect, color fixation and the development of the typical cured flavor profile. According to Catalina, Nitrite-Free. For Real is a truly “uncured” ingredient because it does not perform these functions through nitrite chemistry.
“Nitrite-Free. For Real responds to a clear industry need: to offer natural solutions that enable true reformulation, with transparency and without compromising the quality of the final product. It is not only about complying with regulations, but about helping our customers adapt to an increasingly demanding market,” said Federico Vera, technical director at Catalina Food Solutions.
Source: Catalina Food Solutions
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