, ▁the ▁saf est ▁and ▁most ▁effective ▁medic ines ▁needed ▁in ▁a ▁health ▁system . ▁ ▁Food ▁add itive ▁and ▁pres erv ative ▁N it rite ▁is ▁an ▁easy ▁way ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁p ink ▁sh ade ▁to ▁processed ▁me ats . ▁N it rite ▁react s ▁with ▁the ▁meat ▁my og lo bin ▁to ▁cause ▁color ▁changes , ▁first ▁converting ▁to ▁nit ros omy og lo bin ▁( br ight ▁red ), ▁then , ▁on ▁he ating , ▁to ▁nit ro so hem och rome ▁( a ▁p ink ▁p ig ment ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁meat - pack ing ▁industry , ▁nit rite ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁prevent ▁bot ul ism . ▁Several ▁large ▁meat ▁process ors ▁also ▁produce ▁processed ▁me ats ▁without ▁re lying ▁on ▁nit rite ▁or ▁nit rate . ▁ ▁Histor ically , ▁salt ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁meat . ▁The ▁salt - pres erved ▁meat product ▁was ▁usually ▁brown ish - gray ▁in ▁color . ▁When ▁sod ium ▁nit rite ▁is ▁added ▁with ▁the ▁salt , ▁the ▁meat ▁develop s ▁a ▁red , ▁then ▁p ink ▁color , ▁which ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁c ured ▁me ats ▁such ▁as ▁ham , ▁ba con , ▁hot ▁dogs , ▁and ▁b olog na . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁irregular ▁cur ing ▁was ▁common place . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁further ▁research ▁surrounding ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁sod ium ▁nit rite ▁as ▁an ▁add itive ▁in ▁food , ▁standard izing ▁the ▁amount ▁present