<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi all, I just wanted to make a correction on Junior Welch's list of nitrite/trate responses: >-Germany banned Nitrates and Nitrites. This, unfortunately, is not true. In Germany, these substances can (legally according to European Union laws) be found in virtually all commercially prepared meat products as well as in meats that are supposedly fresh, as well as in some cheeses and fish products. The only products without them that I have found are 'bio-products and bio-meats', ie, certified organic products. For those if you into E numbers: E249 Caliumnitrite E250 Natriumnitrite E251 Natriumnitrate E252 Caliumnitrate They are listed as being the source of cancer causing Nitrosamines which build up over time. The story I heard is that these preservatives were introduced here in Germany in the 40's and 50's to the great joy of the meat industry. The consumers didn't like this at all (I'm not sure if there was already a suspicion of them being cancer causing agents) but the industry had more clout and won. Every once in a while you see a mainstream article on the possible dangers but most of the time not much is said about it except in the organic food industry (which btw is becoming stronger and stronger) so people have forgotten or don't even know about the possible dangers and don't make enough connections between their symptoms and their food (this story sound familiar?) Anyway I suspect that the above story is similar to what has happened/is happening in the States. >Guess I will try to avoid Nitrates and Nitrites. Sounds like a good idea to me. Regards, Cassandra Greer Munich, Germany