The EarthwormExpress

By Eben and Kristi van Tonder, 28 November 2025 The Two Images: Goethe sits in formal eighteenth-century refinement, representing the disciplined interior world of ideas and literary humanism, while Humboldt is shown outdoors in Weitsch’s nineteenth-century painting, notebook and telescope beside him, embodying the outward turn of Enlightenment confidence into empirical observation and the…

By Eben & Kristi van Tonder, 19 November 2025 A Revolution in Stock Control, Yield Accuracy and Quality Management GENAU is built on one principle. Data follows a structure in the factory. Every stock item must have an interface that links it to all relevant information, such as price, weight, batch number, production date and all details needed for control and traceability. We create these…

By Eben van Toder and Kristi Berger, 10 August 2025 Executive Summary: The Night A System Was Born We developed a system that combines a simple, intuitive, common-sense manual tracking framework with advanced AI integration to give meat plants complete management of meat and other raw materials, applicable to any protein. The result is full batch number integration, real-time deviation…

By Eben van Tonder, 28 May 2025 About this Series: In Conversation with Christa Berger This series is published under Origins Global Meats, a section within EarthwormExpress dedicated to our consultancy company. We specialise in mass-market, gourmet, and meat-hybrid formulations. Our services span new factory design, production line set-up, profit optimisation, brand communication, and research…

By Eben van Tonder, 25 May 2025 My first Easter Meat Blessings at Mariatrost Basilica, 2025. The baskets are filled with cured meats. Introduction A new chapter has opened on Origins Global Meats, and it began not with a scientist but with a storyteller. Our Bacon Stories is a series introduced by Christa Berger, whose life, land, and lineage reveal a truth I never saw coming: Bacon is not…

21 March 24Eben van Tonder Introduction When I was in Ile Ife, the spiritual capital city of the Yoruba people, I came face to face with an aspect of Africa that would transform my thinking about meat. An old butcher who must have been in his 90s told me that he would suggest different cuts from the animal based on the circumstances of the buyer. He would, for example, suggest that a pregnant…

10 Feb 24Eben van Tonder Introduction Efficient feedback loops are the lifeblood of any meat plant, ensuring seamless operations across departments. From production to sales, and quality control to food safety, the entire focus of management revolves around optimizing these processes. As someone deeply engaged in managing a meat operation in Nigeria, where resource optimization is paramount,…

**Nitrites and the Physio;ogical Value in the Human Body**

7 February 2024Eben van Tonder Introduction Over the last week, I looked at the issue of nitrites from several perspectives. In Navigating Nitrites: Understanding Their Role in Diet and Health, I go into details of what amines are and unpack the meaning of N-nitrosamines which are cancer-causing and are alleged to be one of the primary dangers in bacon. I also point out the dietary value of…

This article integrates insights from Earthworm Express to further explore the biochemical reactions facilitated by ascorbate and the broader implications of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway for health.

4 Feb 2023Eben van Tonder Introduction How does ascorbate or Vitamin C prevent nitrite from reacting with secondary amines to form nitrosamines which can be cancer-causing? The meat curing industry uses ascorbate wherever nitrite is used, thus mimicking conditions in leafy green vegetables. More than this, the interplay between dietary components and physiological mechanisms has profound…

Amazing week. Amazing day. I worked since 9:00 this morning and went for a break only to go for a run. I have time to think, and a million bits of information gel and create such a clear picture that I must sit down and write . . . Have a good week guy!

The Low Risk of Nitrosamine and Amine Formation in Bacon: Temperature Evaluation Savouring the Safety: The Evolutionary Journey of Nitrosamine Risk Mitigation in Bacon The Human Body: A Self-Repairing and Fat Storing Machine Nutri-Coat: A Modern Twist on Kilishi and Suja – Bridging Traditional and Contemporary Nutrition Meat and Nuts: The Mesopotamian Link Ancient Humans Ate Meat! The…

Last consideration for the week: High temperatures form amines in meat. Bacon frying seldom rich these temperatures. So, amine formation is exceptionally low. Ascorbate (Vitamin C) is present. Nitrites are low. Risk is ZERO! Have a great week with bacon!!

The potential health risks associated with consuming processed meats like bacon have been a topic of discussion and research for many years. Central to these concerns are nitrosamines and amines, compounds that can form during the cooking process and have been linked to various health issues, including cancer. However, a closer examination of the cooking temperatures typically used for frying…

Every time I re-look at the issue of bacon and its health status, it becomes clear. Bacon is completely safe!! I now looked at it scientifically, historically and this past week from an evolutionary perspective.

Table of Contents: Introduction Historical Dietary Shifts and Nitrosamine Formation Historical Dietary Shifts and Nitrosamine Formation The Role of Vitamin C in Preventing Nitrosamines The Safe Incorporation of Vitamin C in Bacon Production Exercise: The Unsung Hero in Managing Processed Food Risks Conclusion References 1. Introduction Throughout human evolution, our diets have…

Here I unpack our bodies propensity to store fat. I also show our body's self-healing and repairing ability and I compare it with other animals and their fat-storage ability.

4 Feb 2023Eben van Tonder Introduction Over the last few weeks, I delved into the mechanism of breaking down proteins into amino acids and the problem that can be created through amines if we consume food where the amino acids have been broken down further into these smaller units. Our body uses the amino acids to build proteins and thus repair itself. Protein is thus the key to understanding…

Humans evolved as meat eating scavengers. Plants started forming a bigger part of our diets as recently as 11,000 years ago during the agricultur revolution.

Ancient Humans Ate Meat!Eben van Tonder15 July 2023 Introduction Earliest humans ate mainly meat. Incorporating plant food into our diet is a recent development. I summarise the landmark work of Miki Ben-Dor, Ran Barkai, and Raphael Sirtoli on the subject which is, in my opinion, the best in existence. In preparation for reading their work, I read the 1970s work of Walter L. Voegtlin. I…