Processed
Cure Salt Blend
Cure salt blend dilutes sodium nitrite in food-grade sodium chloride—classically around 6.25% nitrite in “Prague powder No. 1” style pink salts—so butchers and plants can weigh safer macroscopic amounts for brine and dry cure. The pink dye is a visual warning only, not a potency measure. Never substitute table salt 1:1 for cure salt or pure nitrite for cure salt. Follow validated recipes and legal ingoing limits. Store locked and labelled away from kitchen salt.
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 38960 mg
- Salt 93.5 g
- Total Carbohydrate 0 g
- Dietary Fibre 0 g
- Total Sugars 0 g
- Complex / starch 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Water 0.3 g
- Water 0.3 g
- Minerals 95755 mg
- Major Minerals 95755 mg
- Salt 93.5 g
- Sodium Chloride 93.5 g
Minerals
Sodium: 38960 · Chloride: 56770 · Potassium: 5 · Calcium: 20 ·
Classic pink curing salt is about 6.25% sodium nitrite in 93.75% sodium chloride so plants can weigh safer amounts. Energy remains 0. Sodium is almost all from the NaCl carrier (~38700 mg) plus a little from nitrite. This is table-salt-like, not a sugar.
History
Diluted nitrite curing salts made industrial and butcher-shop dosing practical and safer.
Pink-dyed cure salts became the trade standard to prevent lethal confusion with NaCl.
Regulated cure blends remained mandatory practice in inspected meat plants.