 A 2019 report from Consumer Reports  found that using celery (or other natural sources) as a curing agent introduced naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites.The USDA allows the term “uncured” or “no nitrates or nitrites added” on products using these natural sources of nitrites, which provides the consumer a false sense of making a healthier choice.The Consumer Reports investigation also provides the average level of sodium, nitrates and nitrites found per gram of meat in their report.