Extending Meat Shelf Life + The History of the Nutrition Facts Label

The food industry is slowly moving away from chemical preservatives, like nitrites in meats, due to health concerns. This has prompted researchers in Spain and the US to explore yeast and nitric oxide (NO), respectively, as natural preservatives to extend meat shelf life. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the potential health risks of nitrites and discusses two nitrite alternatives: yeast and NO. Scientists in Spain and the US are pioneering these alternatives to chemical preservatives in meat, which could revolutionize how the meat industry extends meat shelf life and ensures food safety. The team wonders how these nitrite alternatives could impact the taste of meat but commends these scientists for studying substitutes.

Also in this episode, Sydney talks about the history of the Nutrition Facts label, a staple on nearly every packaged food product in the US since 1994. Introduced to enhance consumer transparency, this label has evolved into a model for various industries, promoting socially responsible markets through intuitive information dissemination. The Nutrition Facts label has undergone several updates to align with changing public health priorities. The label has been updated to address concerns such as saturated fat and cholesterol in the 1980s and added sugars in the 2010s. The team wonders whether there have been any controversies or lawsuits related to the Nutrition Facts label.

Read the full article here:

Extending Meat Shelf Life: Scientists Innovate Nitrite Alternatives

What Is Daily Value? A Comprehensive Insight into the Nutrition Facts Label

The weekly podcast is available for streaming every Thursday on Spotify, Apple Music and wherever you stream your podcasts.

Subscribe to the Xtalks Food Podcast to never miss a new episode.