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Sodium lactate is natural salt that is derived from a natural fermentation product, lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced naturally in foods such as cheese, yogurt, hard salami, pepperoni, sour dough bread and many others by the action of lactic acid starter cultures (also known as a "good" bacteria) on the sugars that are naturally present in the food products. The production of the lactic acid increases the acidity of the product, flavoring the product with a desired taste characteristic and offering some protection from spoilage. Salts of lactic acid are a more powerful pathogen inhibitor than the lactic acid itself. Since salt is the best preservative that can be used in food products by creating an undesirable environment for bacteria, sodium lactate has a distinct advantage over sodium chloride since it contains 50% less sodium. This gives us the pathogen inhibiting characteristics needed, while keeping sodium levels low when compared to traditional meat products. Sodium Lactate should not be confused with lactose, the sugar found in milk products. This same lactic acid and the lactate salts of lactic acid naturally occur in all animal and human muscle tissue. The production of lactic acid is as important part of the energy metabolism of muscle tissue. During the normal metabolic cycle in our body, about 120 grams of lactic acid is produced daily (Ir. J. T. De Koos, Die Fleischerei, 1/1993). Sodium Lactate is a known component of the stratum coreum layer of the skin. (Cosmet and Toilitries 93, 85, 1978). Sodium lactate is produced by the natural fermentation of the sugars from corn or beets. These sugars are fermented with lactic acid starter culture, similar to those used for cheese or yogurt production. The fermented solution is mixed with caustic soda (same used in pretzel and bagel manufacturing to coat the outside) to form sodium lactate in the same fashion soy milk is mixed with Calcium Sulfate to form tofu. These natural salts were the first natural ingredients found to inhibit the growth of botulism causing bacteria (Clostridium botulinum).

Also called corn sugar and grape sugar, dextrose is a naturally occurring form of GLUCOSE.



GLUCOSE: The most common form of this sugar is dextroglucose, a naturally occurring form commonly referred to as DEXTROSE (also called corn sugar and grape sugar). This form of glucose has many sources including grape juice, certain vegetables and honey. It has about half the sweetening power of regular sugar. Because it doesn't crystallize easily, it's used to make commercial candies and frostings, as well as in baked goods, soft drinks and other processed foods. Corn syrup is a form of glucose made from cornstarch.

A chemical compound that is used to preserve food by retaining the moisture in the food to make it juicy and more pleasing when consumed.

According to Larry Borchert, a professor of

muscle biology and meat science at the

University of Wisconsin at Madison, hams do

not naturally hold water. The two proteins that make up the muscles of a ham, actin and

myosin, bind together to form a complex

protein known as actomyosin. Actomyosin is

not water-soluble, but it is salt- soluble. Thus ham manufacturers

must inject sodium phosphate into

supermarket hams to

enable the muscles to retain water. The

advantage of this treatment can be that a ham does not end up completely

dehydrated after processing. The disadvantage, however, is that the ham can be so pumped up with water, or "highly extended," as Borchert phrased it, that it

takes on an unpalatably damp, spongy texture

and a watered-down flavor. This was the case with all of the "water product" hams and, to a lesser degree, the "hamwater

added"

Sodium diacetate is a molecular compound of acetic acid and sodium acetate.



In general it is used as an antimicrobial agent in baked goods and other foods, and inhibits growth of many deleterious micro-organisms in dough and bread. At the same time its mild acid properties develop the pastry aroma without introducing too much acid or shallow a flavor character note.



The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) affirmed sodium diacetate as a direct food substance generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and permitted the use in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice

it is a chemical food additive whose chemical structure resembles Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid. It is used in the food processing industry to preserve the color of cured meats and related products. It actually is a chemical salt of Erythorbic Acid.

Sodium Nitrate (Nitrite)

Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite are both salts used as preservatives in processed meats. Sodium Nitrate, NaNO3, is used as a food preservative because of its anti-microbial properties so food stays fresher longer. It is also used broadly as a fertilizer and in the late 19th century was used in the manufacturing of gunpowder. There is controversy of its use because it can produce nitrosamines, which cause cancer, when food with sodium nitrate is cooked at high heat. Sodium Nitrite, NaNO2 , is chemically similar to Sodium Nitrate, and is used to sustain coloring and preserve freshness in meats and fish. Without the coloring, hot dogs would get a grayer color over time. Sodium Nitrite is also found in dyeing, printing, and bleaching textile fabrics, coating metals, and manufacturing rubber chemicals. Over-consumption of sodium nitrate can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Nitrates are naturally occuring in cauliflower, spinach, and other vegetables as well.

Tufts, Veronique Von.

"What Is the Diference between Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate?" Edinformatics -- Education for the Information Age. Web. 16 May 2011. .