Meat and meat products

Fresh red meats are refrigerated. Cured meats such as ham, bacon, and sausage contain chemical preservatives (salt, nitrate, nitrite) but are, in addition, heat processed and stored under refrigeration. Fresh and cured meats are also canned. With severe heat processing a shelf-stable product is produced. In certain products stability is achieved in part through other processes; fermentation, drying, smoking and impregnation with vinegar.