So Green Leafy Vegetables seem to be a great source of nitrates naturally. And these will reduce to Nitrites which will reduce to Nitric Oxide and cure meats giving that pink color inhibiting botulism etc. Why hot dogs and the like have sodium nitrite added. However Nitrosamines (found to be carcinogenic) are formed when nitrites are heated (cooked) in the presences of amine groups (amino acids in proteins a.k.a. meat) which is why reducing agents like Erythorbate (cheaper isomer, non entirely biologically active vit C) are now required along with the nitrites to ensure nitric oxide formation reducing nitrosamine formation...

Do I have a point? Well green leafy's may be a great way to cure meat and many "natural" No Nitrites Added food companies are playing this game currently however if its pink the nitrites are there so some of these natural bacon companies and the like are clearly using vegetable extracts

The question is are they risking consumer health with additional nitrosamine formation from unregulated levels and the lack of added reducing agents? And can we utilize this knowledge to help preserve delicious meat safely in a sustainable manner (yes I'm a carnivore...)

I want to hear more about this...

Well it is just something to muse over. One has to keep in mind while many of these green leafy vegetables will have nitrates which have farther to go to nitric oxide (two reductions instead of one) they also often have vitamin C (sodium erythrobate is a steroisomer of this used due to it being cheaper than vitamin C) and Vitamin E both of which help to inhibit nitrosamine formation.

So I guess my point is for the USDA to give me a grant to hire a few graduate students to look at the interactions between these levels. ;P

Seriously though I'm curious with regards to the extraction process in question for the "no nitrite added" products and its effect on the nitrosamine formation inhibitors found in the natural state of the vegetables.