Ham and cancer: a Lille charcuterie offers nitrite-free products

Maximilien Carlier 11:32 a.m., July 12, 2022, modified at 11:32 a.m., July 12, 2022

REPORTAGE

In a report, published on Tuesday and of which the

obtained a summary, the National Food Safety Agency (Anses) finally recognizes that there is a link between the risk of colon cancer and the nitrite consumption.

These nitrites, present in industrial charcuterie, give the pink color to the ham.

Some butchers choose to work without nitrites, such as Barbak, in Lille. 

"A real taste of meat"

In the Lille Barbak butcher's shop, there is a slate on the wall with the large writing "Barbak, it's without nitrites".

Vianney Deberdt the manager fetches ham from the cold room.

"It's not super pink like the ones you find in hypermarkets and supermarkets. However, it's very good, a real taste of meat. Over time, it will gray a little but that's normal. The most important thing is is that it is nitrite-free". 

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For the production, the difference is made at the level of the brine: this salty vegetable broth where the meat will soak for several days, as the boss explains on Europe 1: "It's water, white salt and vegetables, whereas manufacturers also use water of course, vegetables but above all dehydrated vegetable broths and also nitrite salt for which it has been shown that it is harmful to health in the long term".  

Maximum 48h storage

The cost and manufacturing time are the same whether for industrial ham or nitrite-free ham.

The only weak point is the preservation for the product without additives.

It is 48 hours maximum but does not represent a barrier for customers: "We eat it very quickly, we don't keep it in the fridge for long. On the other hand, it's real ham". 

The price of this nitrite-free ham is €26.90 per kg.

It's about 10€ more expensive than the "ordinary" one sold by the cut in supermarkets.