Nitrite

Is there a nitrite substitute for food?

They say nitrite is harmful to the colon.

The nitrite reacts with an aromatic amine to form a diazonium salt.

John Birdsall, a scientist for the American Meat Institute, said that there were no industry qualms about trying to lower the nitrite amounts even farther. For centuries, some form of nitrites have been used to cure and to preserve bacon and to give it a pink color.