Pink Sure Cure

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 18:05

Hello All,

I am getting ready to make a pile of bacon and searched the suppliers for a 5 lb. container of Cure #1.

I found that Butcher Packer sells ir for $7.45/5 lb. tub. But it contains Silico Aluminate 2% as an anti-caking agent.

Does Instacure contain this?
Anything we should know about this chemical additive?

Any input would be appreciated - before I order it 2 x 5lb =$14.90 plus shipping $8.95
Looks like a good deal - if there is no downside to the Silico Aluminate.

Thank you,
Doug

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 19:00

My bet is that with FDA approval for the anti caking agent, the fat content of the bacon is more of a concern than the small amounts of sodium and aluminum that will be added to your food intake. If sodium intake is a concern then bacon is probably already off the menu and if you use aluminum cookware then you probable pick up more aluminum compounds from there than you will from an anti caking agent.

Post by **redzed** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 08:16

ssorllih wrote:My bet is that with FDA approval for the anti caking agent, the fat content of the bacon is more of a concern than the small amounts of sodium and aluminum that will be added to your food intake. If sodium intake is a concern then bacon is probably already off the menu and if you use aluminum cookware then you probable pick up more aluminum compounds from there than you will from an anti caking agent.

Why is the fat content a "concern"?

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 16:41

redzed wrote:Why is the fat content a "concern"?

I suppose there is concern for certain folks who wish to moderate their intake of saturated fat and sodium. I believe Ross was making a point that the relative risks of consuming products containing the anti-caking agent in the cure are relatively minor compared to the risk of consuming the amounts of fat & sodium present in the bacon.

But that's just my two cents...

Kevin

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 18:36

Instacure uses propylene glycol as an anti-caking agent and Sure cure uses Silico aluminate.
I would rather consume propylene glycol than Silicp aluminate which does have some health
concerns if consumed consistently and in a volume which may cause harmful affects.

If we don't need the inorganic chemicals in our bodies why eat it and contaminate our system.
I would rather pay $17.99/5lb to avoid it. That is a lot more than $7.45/5lb - but I think it is
worth it.

Doug

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 20:45

Hi Doug,
I am as well a great believer in healthy food with the least of added chemicals as possible.
Safe charcuterie is impossible to make without some sort of these chemicals. Cures are a neccessary evil for long life.
The best way to start is to check up on your plastic tubs you probably will use for curing your bacon and sausage making.
Are they approved for this use with the appropriate markings. If they are not, only use stainless.
Non approved tubs can leach harmful chemicals with side affects to humans if used constantly, especially now with questionable Chinese manufactured items flooding the market.
I try to live a good life, eat healthy and intent to be a bloody nuisance when I am 110 years old with great-grand kids sitting om my knee.
BUT cures are needed, there are more urgent things to attend to to stay alive and healthy.
I like your way of thinking though.
Best Regards,
Jan.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 22:05

kinda funny ! All of the chemical compounds leached from plastic are organic. The oldest food containers were wood and pottery and up until only a couple of generations ago almost all food handling pans were enameled steel. Milk cans were coated with tin. 60 years ago practically all knives were carbon steel with wooden handles.
There is a very long list of minerals and elements that are essential to our good health and without them we would literally fall apart. Calcium for our bones, potassium for our hearts, sodium, iron for our blood. All of these are ingested as chemical compounds.
There is quite a population that gets all worked up when we speak of using sodium nitrite in our sausage.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 17:42

USDA authorized the use of Silico Aluminate as an anti-caking agent on April 1 2012

So, that makes all the users and consumers guinea pigs - We are the test group to see
if it is safe for long term consumption.

I could not find any long term clinical studies on humans or animals for the safe use of Silico
Aluminate in our diets in any quantity. So without any further data to consider - consume
with caution.

If anyone finds these studies please contribute to this thread.

Doug

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 01:14

I have search diligently and there seem to be no toxicology reports concerning this witches brew. So I guess on that basis we can continue to have our salt without lumps in it.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 02:11

Thanks for your efforts Ross.

There are alternatives available to us.

Doug

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 02:48

Here's a decent reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_aluminosilicate
The stuff is a zeolite, a naturally-occurring (and frequently re-processed) mineral mixture having a cage-like crystalline structure (there are many different forms) which can be used to capture and hold water or other molecules. It's a great desiccant as well as a good catalyst. I once worked in a chemical unit that used zeolites to separate linear paraffins from petroleum mixtures for use in manufacturing soap. ("How cool is that?" ...probably not very, but it sure made my employer a stack of money.)

Think of it as sand. (Translation: inert grit.) A minor amount won't hurt you, but I wouldn't go chowing down on a bucket full. ...unless you had paraffin for lunch. In that case, you have other, more serious problems.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 04:32

This one is interesting also; www.Solectoinc.comresources/MSDS%20Alusil.pdf

HOPE I COPIED THAT CORRECTLY.

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 05:54

Dihydrogen Monoxide (AKA Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid.) is the scary one, it's potentially VERY troublesome and it's almost everywhere!

I often lose sleep over it!

http://www.dhmo.org/

Pink Sure Cure

Pink Sure Cure

Propylene Glycol

Silico Aluminate

Alternatives

Silico Aluminate