Does Salami Have Preservatives? What's in Ours (and Why)
Yes. Traditionally cured salami made in NSW, ours included, contains a small amount of curing salt: preservatives 250 and 251 (sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate). It's a food safety requirement, and we use the minimum amount allowed. Here's why it's there, what it does, and what you won't find in our salami.
Why Salami Contains Curing Salts
Salami is never cooked. It's fermented and slowly air-dried, so its safety comes from a series of "hurdles" rather than heat: salt, a drop in acidity during fermentation, drying, and nitrite. The NSW Food Authority requires salami makers to add nitrite at between 50 and 150 mg per kg, mainly to stop Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria behind botulism. Nitrite also gives cured salami its deep red colour and part of its flavour.
Salt, smoke and time preserved meat long before curing salts came along, and they still do most of the work in our salami. Nitrite is the extra safety net the rules require today, and the Food Authority notes that no single replacement has yet been found that does the same job.
What About "Nitrate Free" Salami?
You'll sometimes see salami sold as "no added nitrates" or "preservative free". In NSW, a maker can only leave nitrite out if they validate an alternative way of keeping the salami safe and have it approved. Some products swap in a natural source of nitrate instead, such as a vegetable powder like celery. That's allowed too, as long as the nitrate it supplies is validated, but it means "no added nitrate" doesn't always mean no nitrate. The full ingredient list tells the real story.
Should You Worry About Nitrites in Salami?
We'll leave health advice to the experts, but here's what Australia's food regulator found. In its survey, FSANZ reported that most of the nitrate and nitrite Australians eat comes from vegetables and fruit, with processed meats contributing less than 10% of nitrite intake, and that current exposure levels aren't considered an appreciable health risk. If you have a specific medical concern, talk to your doctor.
What's Actually in Our Salami
Our salami is made the old way, in small batches, from a short list of real ingredients:
Free-range Australian meatMurray River pink saltReal spices & herbsPreservatives 250 & 251 at the minimum level
Our game salamis combine kangaroo, venison, duck or wild boar with free-range pork fat for texture. Pink salt comes from the Murray River, with Himalayan pink salt swapped in occasionally when supply runs short. What you won't find:
Does Our Salami Contain Sulphites?
We don't add sulphite preservatives to our salami: 250 and 251 are the only preservatives we use. Two of our salamis, Kangaroo & Red Wine and The Godfather Pepperoni, are made with Australian red wine, and wine can contain sulphites. If you're sensitive to sulphites, get in touch before you order and we'll talk you through exactly what's in each one.
How to Read a Salami Label
In Australia, most food additives must be listed on the label by their class name followed by their name or number, for example "Preservative (250)" (FSANZ on food additives). When you're comparing salami, look for:
Preservative (250) or (251): curing saltsPreservative (220 to 228): sulphitesCelery or vegetable powderWheat, rusk or breadcrumbs
Quick Questions
Is your salami preservative free?
No. Like all traditionally cured salami made in NSW, it contains curing salt, and we use the minimum amount allowed. More on this in our FAQ.
Why don't you make nitrate-free salami?
Leaving nitrite out means validating and getting approval for a different way to keep the salami safe. We'd rather stick with the traditional method and keep the curing salt to the minimum.
How long does salami keep?
Whole and in the fridge, for months. Here's how to store salami properly.
