Flammekueche d'Alsace

Sodium nitrite (E250) is a salt used for curing and preserving meat products.

It plays a critical role in preventing the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism, in cured meats like bacon, ham, and sausages. It also provides the characteristic pink color and flavor.

However, nitrites can react with amines in the stomach to form nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens. High intake of processed meats containing nitrites is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Regulatory bodies have set strict limits on its use in food.

SODIUM ASCORBATE is one of a number of mineral salts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Guar gum (E412) is a natural food additive derived from guar beans.

This white, odorless powder is valued for its remarkable thickening and stabilizing properties, making it a common ingredient in various food products, including sauces, dressings, and ice creams.

When used in moderation, guar gum is considered safe for consumption, with no known adverse health effects.

Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471), are food additives commonly used as emulsifiers in various processed foods.

These compounds consist of glycerol molecules linked to one or two fatty acid chains, which help stabilize and blend water and oil-based ingredients. E471 enhances the texture and shelf life of products like margarine, baked goods, and ice cream, ensuring a smooth and consistent texture.

It is generally considered safe for consumption within established regulatory limits.

Cysteine (symbol Cys or C; ) is a semi-essential proteinogenic amino acid with the formula HO2CCH(NH2)CH2SH. The thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions, as a nucleophile. The thiol is susceptible to oxidation to give the disulfide derivative cystine, which serves an important structural role in many proteins. When used as a food additive, it has the E number E920. It is encoded by the codons UGU and UGC. Cysteine has the same structure as serine, but with one of its oxygen atoms replaced by sulfur; replacing it with selenium gives selenocysteine. (Like other natural proteinogenic amino acids cysteine has (L) chirality in the older D/L notation based on homology to D and L glyceraldehyde. In the newer R/S system of designating chirality, based on the atomic numbers of atoms near the asymmetric carbon, cysteine (and selenocysteine) have R chirality, because of the presence of sulfur (resp. selenium) as a second neighbor to the asymmetric carbon. The remaining chiral amino acids, having lighter atoms in that position, have S chirality.)