Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
Sodium erythorbate (C6H7NaO6) is a food additive used predominantly in meats poultry and soft drinks. Chemically it is the sodium salt of erythorbic acid. When used in processed meat such as hot dogs and beef sticks it increases the rate at which nitrite reduces to nitric oxide thus facilitating a faster cure and retaining the pink coloring. As an antioxidant structurally related to vitamin C it helps improve flavor stability and prevents the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
