Process
Injection and pumping
Brine is pumped into the muscle rather than allowed to diffuse in.
Published parameters
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ingoing nitrite, pumped bacon | 120 ppm, with 550 ppm sodium ascorbate or erythorbate | 9 CFR 424.22(b)(1) |
| Alternative | 100 ppm nitrite with 550 ppm ascorbate or erythorbate | 9 CFR 424.22(b)(1)(ii)(A) |
| Alternative with culture | 40 to 80 ppm nitrite, 550 ppm ascorbate or erythorbate, at least 0.7 percent fermentable carbohydrate, and a lactic acid producing culture | 9 CFR 424.22(b)(1)(ii)(B) |
| Protein fat free minimum, uncooked cured ham | 18.0 percent | 9 CFR 319.104(a) |
What the step is for
Reduces cure time from weeks to hours, and is the basis of the modern ham and bacon trade.
Pumped bacon is the most tightly specified cured product in US law, and reading 9 CFR 424.22(b) shows why: the three permitted nitrite levels are not alternatives of equal standing. The lowest, 40 to 80 ppm, is only available with a fermentable carbohydrate and a lactic acid producing culture present, at a level sufficient to prevent the production of botulinum toxin. The regulation names the mechanism it is relying on.
The protein fat free requirement in 9 CFR 319.104 is what stops a pumped ham from being mostly brine. Fall below the figure and the name has to change: the product becomes a water product with the added-ingredient percentage on the label.
Hazards this step bears on
Arithmetic for this step
Regulatory citations are to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9, as in force on 1 January 2026. FSIS guideline citations give the guideline identifier; the documents are listed with their URLs on methodology.