@ Face : Actually they used to use potassium nitrate (the key ingredient in gunpowder), which is dug up from the ground alongside certain minerals and extracted, but it didn't taste as good as sodium nitrite. What is traditional is using nitrites and/or nitrates to cure meat, (alongside sodium chloride and sucrose - yes... chemicals!!) regardless of how the nitrites were sourced. Can you tell me the difference between nitrites from celery powder and nitrites created through chemical combination in an industrial process? Do you honestly believe there is one? Your instincts may tell you that is the case, but have you actually looked into the science of it?