 For lesser-developed countries, curing remains a key process in the production, transport and availability of meat.Some traditional cured meat (such as authentic Parma ham and some authentic Spanish chorizo and Italian salami, ...) are cured with salt alone.Today, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite (in conjunction with salt) are the most common agents in curing meat, because they bond to the myoglobin and act as a substitute for the oxygen, thus turning myoglobin red .