Meat processing Potassium nitrate has been a common ingredient of salted meat since antiquity or the Middle Ages."Meat Science", University of Wisconsin. uwex.edu. The widespread adoption of nitrate use is more recent and is linked to the development of large-scale meat processing. The use of potassium nitrate has been mostly discontinued because it gives slow and inconsistent results compared with sodium nitrite preparations such as "Prague powder" or pink "curing salt". Even so, potassium nitrate is still used in some food applications, such as salami, dry-cured ham, charcuterie, and (in some countries) in the brine used to make corned beef (sometimes together with sodium nitrite).Corned Beef , Food Network In the Shetland Islands (UK) it is used in the curing of mutton to make reestit mutton, a local delicacy. When used as a food additive in the European Union,UK Food Standards Agency: the compound is referred to as E252; it is also approved for use as a food additive in the United StatesUS Food and Drug Administration: and Australia and New ZealandAustralia New Zealand Food Standards Code (where it is listed under its INS number 252).
Meat processing Potassium nitrate has been a common ingredient of salted meat since antiquity or the Middle Ages"Meat Science" University of Wisconsin uwexedu The widespread adoption of nitrate use is more recent and is linked to the development of large-scale meat processing The use of potassium nitrate has been mostly discontinued because it gives slow and inconsistent results compared with sodium nitrite preparations such as "Prague powder" or pink "curing salt" Even so potassium nitrate is still used in some food applications such as salami dry-cured ham charcuterie and (in some countries) in the brine used to make corned beef (sometimes together with sodium nitrite)Corned Beef  Food Network In the Shetland Islands (UK) it is used in the curing of mutton to make reestit mutton a local delicacy When used as a food additive in the European UnionUK Food Standards Agency the compound is referred to as E252; it is also approved for use as a food additive in the United StatesUS Food and Drug Administration and Australia and New ZealandAustralia New Zealand Food Standards Code (where it is listed under its INS number 252)