system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
If sodium nitrate is known to cause DNA damage then why does everyone think it's OK for it to be used as a preservative in all our meat products?Are there not alternative preservatives?
gpt
It's a risk/reward scenario. Nitrates can potentially increase the risk of cancer - the degree to which the risk increases is not firmly known. However, nitrates are *incredibly* effective at inhibiting pathogen growth in high-pH foods like meat, especially considering their cost and ease of use. Much like sulfites, which can cause allergic reactions (in some cases fatal ones) in asthmatics yet are still used in winemaking and dried fruit, nitrates are still sitting on the 'useful' side of a risk/reward assessment. It's possible that that will change once we have a clearer picture of the risks.