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Food News What is Kobe Beef? Nitrate additives may protect stomachs from ulcers By Stephen Daniells 15/05/2008- Nitrites and nitrates, much maligned additives in processed and cured meats, may help protect the stomach from damage, suggests research from Sweden. Bacteria in the mouth convert nitrates, also found in vegetables, into nitrites, and this transforms into nitric oxide in the stomach, which stimulates the protective mechanisms of the mucous membrane, according to a research from Uppsala University's Department of Medical Cell Biology. Nitrites are added to meat to retard rancidity, stabilise flavour, and establish the characteristic pink colour of cured meat. Studies and recommendations by health and governmental organisations ensure the safety of such products. However, observational studies, including data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) on 7,352 subjects over the age of 45, have suggested that increased consumption of nitrites from cured meat could increase the risk of lung disease. "Nitrates in food have long been erroneously linked to an increased risk of cancer," said Joel Petersson. The research forms the basis of Petersson's PhD thesis. Moreover, studies have shown that vegetables have up to 100 times more nitrate than processed meats, meaning nitrite and nitrate from processed or cured meats may account for only a small quantity of these compounds consumed in the diet. The Petersson's research offers some positive news for the additives. He used animal models to show that nitrate additives in food protect against both gastric ulcers and the minor damage that often occurs in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract when people consume anti-inflammatory drugs. "These sorts of drugs are very common in the event of pain and inflammation. They have the major disadvantage of causing a large number of serious side effects in the form of bleeding and ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract. With the aid of a nitrate-rich diet you can thus avoid such damage," he explained. Suck it and see According to the research, the key to the protection lies in the mouth. Bacteria in the oral cavity convert the nitrates to nitrites, which are then swallowed. To study this, Petersson and co-workers fed rats a nitrate-rich feed, while some of the animals also simultaneously received an antibacterial oral spray. Administration of anti-inflammatory drugs led to damage of the mucous membrane only in the animals receiving the oral spray. "This shows how important our oral flora is," said Petersson. "The fact that these bacteria are not just involved in our oral hygiene but also play an important role in the normal functions of the gastrointestinal tract is not entirely new. It is currently an important issue, as antibacterial mouthwashes have become more and more common. If a mouthwash eliminates the bacterial flora in the mouth this may be important to the normal functioning of the stomach, as the protective levels of nitric oxide greatly decrease." New discovery While the role of oral bacteria has been reported before, Petersson claims that the fact that nitric oxide can also be formed in the stomach from nitrites in the saliva, entirely without the involvement of enzymes, is relatively new. A effect of nitric oxide on the protective mechanisms of the mucous membrane, including renewal of the mucous layer that covers the mucous membrane and its maintenance of a stable blood flow in the mucous membrane, are reportedly achieved by the effect of nitric oxide, a vasodilator, on widening the blood vessels in the mucous membrane. This increased the blood flow and regulates the elimination of the important mucus. Further support Results from a mice study, published last year in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reported that nitrites and nitrates may help heart attack survival and recovery. Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reported that the compounds reduced heart cell death in the mice following a heart attack by 48 per cent. Moreover, animals with a low nitrite/nitrate diet had 59 per cent greater injury, report the researchers. Nitrite salts (also known as sodium nitrite) have traditionally been used to cure cooked meat products and fine paste sausages. However labelling of these salts as E250 is now negatively perceived by consumers, meaning that a clean label (non-E-number) alterative could be welcomed by industry and consumers. Source: J. Petersson (2008) "Nitrate, Nitrite and Nitric Oxide in Gastric Mucosal Defense" Uppsala University http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-8624 Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2000/2008 – Decision News Media SAS – All Rights Reserved. For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department: contact our Syndication department. Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions. contact the editor What is Kobe Beef? Kobe beef is considered the most exclusive beef in the world. Technically speaking, there's no such thing as Kobe beef, it is merely the shipping point for beef from elsewhere in Japan. What is called "Kobe beef" comes from the ancient province of Tajima, now named Hyogo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital. Real beef connoisseurs, however, still refer to it as Tajima beef. This beef comes from an ancient stock of cattle called "kuroge Wagyu" (black haired Japanese cattle). Today they are raised on only 262 small farms, most of which pasture fewer than five cows, and the largest of which run only 10 to 15 animals. Each animal is pampered like a spoiled child. Their diets are strictly controlled and during the final fattening process, cattle are fed hefty quantities of sake and beer mash. Each animal gets a daily massage. The theory is that mellow, relaxed cows make good beef.** Freezing Fresh Cut Beef at Home The best way to freeze fresh cut and wrapped beef at home is by flash freezing. Flash Freezing can be done at -15 °F on your home freezer upon some prior preparation. Most chest-style freezer have the capability of reaching -15 °F, but some upright freezers may not. * Set your freezer's control to its coldest setting several hours before using it as a flash freezer (use a freezer thermometer to check the temperature). * Shift the food that is already in the freezer to one side; try to leave about 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 2 to 3 lbs. of beef. * *[For the best and fastest freezing, it is best to use a large, empty chest freezer to allow for maximum air circulation.] * Chill deer before you freeze it to make it easier to cut and package, and to allow quicker freezing. *The faster the beef freezes, the better it will taste when cooked! * Wrap the deer cuts securely in high quality freezer paper to prevent freezer burn and to avoid contaminating one meat with the odors of another. Click here for a diagram on how to properly wrap meat for the freezer. * To allow quicker freezing, try and arrange the packages in the freezer so they are not touching any other packages. The more air circulating around the packages, the quicker the beef will freeze. * *[You can set the packages of Beef in the freezer on metal wire shelving - that is often used in kitchen cabinets - to allow the most air circulation.] Following the above tips should lead to the longest lasting, best tasting Beef possible! Cooking Frozen Beef Beef may be cooked frozen or defrosted. Defrosted beef should be cooked as a fresh cut; but allow additional cooking time. Frozen roasts require 1/3 to 1/2 more time for cooking. Cooking time for frozen steaks and patties varies according to surface area, thickness, and broiling temperature. Frozen cuts should be broiled farther from the heat so they do not brown too quickly. To braise frozen pot roasts, allow approximately the same cooking time as for defrosted cuts. Defrosting Beef Frozen beef my be defrosted before or during cooking. It should be defrosted in the original wrapping in the refrigerator. Defrosting meat at room temperature is not a recommended procedure. The following is a timetable for defrosting frozen beef in a refrigerator: Large roast 4-7 hours (per pound) Small roast 3-5 hours (per pound) Steak, one-inch thick 12-14 hours Why we don't use Genetically Engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (rBST/rBGH) Contributed by Vivian Straus of Straus Family Creamery In 1991, before we made the transition to organic, we were proud to receive the award for top producing dairy in our area for a dairy that milks 3 times a day. Our whole family attended the dinner where Albert accepted the award. We were surrounded by all our neighboring farmers. Most dairy farmers milk twice a day, but Albert had decided that 3 times a day was less stressful for cows while raising daily milk production by about 10-15%. Three years later, in February of 1994, we began bottling organic milk in glass bottles at Straus Family Creamery. Our cows' milk production had declined from the 1991 high during this transition to organic due to an initial lack of a good quality organic feed. (Now organic feed is a much higher quality and much more available.) Meanwhile farmers all over the U.S. had been persuaded to inject their cows with a new genetically engineered hormone called bovine somatotropin (also known as rBST or rBGH) in order to increase their milk supply. rBST was the first FDA approved genetically engineered product to make it into our food supply. None of us knew much about the hormone except for the glossy promotions sent to us by Monsanto, but we were immediately leery of anything that would unnaturally pump up milk supply, might adversely affect a cow's health, as well as keep milk prices suppressed due to increased milk supply. Every Farmer Must Make a Choice You may ask why a farmer would be tempted to use this hormone. And why is milk supply so important? It's because more milk means more income. Dairy farmers have over the last 25 years made about the same amount of money for their milk. The price for conventional (non-organic) milk is set in Chicago. The pricing fluctuates wildly between 2 extremes, making the knowledge whether your farm will survive or not a frightening rollercoaster. However, no matter what price is paid for the milk, that price has never covered the real costs that the average farmer spends to produce that milk. As a dairy farmer, you have few choices. 1. You can fold when the prices are low. Many do. Dairy farmers in America have been going out of business at a rate of 5% a year. In 1941, there were over 20,000 dairies in California. By 2002, the number had slid to just 2,150. 2. You can grow. If you have more cows you can produce more milk. Then when you are paid less for your milk, you can make it up in volume and a decreased overhead. But growth takes its toll on the cows, the land and the environment. 3. You can use rBST, a genetically engineered hormone injected into cows introduced to dairies in 1994, which can increase milk production by 10-15% per cow. Though no one knows the exact numbers, estimates are that approximately 30% of dairies in America use rBST. 4. You try to find another option. The Straus Choice Our decision was to find another option. We knew we wanted to continue farming and we knew that growing our herd was not an option that would be good for our land, our cows or our chosen way of life. We had already discontinued the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers on our land many years before. So the idea of transitioning to organic, which also included eliminating antibiotics and hormones seemed a natural step. (There are several hormones used on conventional farms...though none are talked about other than rBST). We also wanted to retain control. By being an organic processor and making our own products, we could remain outside the pricing system and set our own price for milk. We could charge what it actually costs to produce the milk. That way we could pay our bills, support ourselves and our employees while making responsible decisions that affect the health of our animals, our land and our environment. What we know about rBST Studies in Canada and the European Union have indicated that the use of rBST DOES affect both the health of the cows and possibly human health. Consequently, neither Canada nor the EU allow the use of rBST. rBST acts to overwork the cow by physically altering the amount of milk produced, thereby stressing the cow. A stressed cow, like people, will be more likely to get sick. A sick cow, not only receives antibiotics on a conventional dairy, it does not remain in a herd for as long and will most likely have a shorter life span. Some of the studies on rBST also indicate potential problems with human health from ingesting milk from cows that have been given rBST. The research shows rBST milk contains an increased level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which various studies link to colon or breast cancer. Nothing seems clear but strong questions exist and continue to be a concern. You can read about both current and past issues with rBST on this website: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbghlink.html The Straus Position Our family, as responsible citizens and food producers, don't want to take any risks with human or herd health. It's just not who we are. For us, the decision not to use rBST is not complicated at all. First of all, as a certified organic operation under federal law, we are not allowed to use rBST. Also, we would never want to use a product with conflicting and adverse studies, some of which indicate results none of us would want to support. We don't want to use our consumers as guinea pigs on an under-tested science or potentially harm our animals. Our philosophy is to produce products that are as close to nature as possible. We are farmers. We care about our cows, our land and the quality of the product that we are offering to our neighbors and friends. Keeping it simple and organic seems the only logical choice. This article was featured in a collection of viewpoints by leading thinkers, educators, and practitioners entitled, Thinking Outside the Lunchbox. The collection is part of the Center for Ecoliteracy's Rethinking School Lunch program, at www.rethinkingschoollunch.org. < Back to the top >