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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