Welcome to SMF!  We try to bring you the most accurate and informative information possible!  Curing and Smoking is a huge part of our site, and there is information that governs many of the practices we do here backed up by fact.  

This is a link to scientific information, through:

National Center for Home Food Preservation
FACS Cooperative Extension Service
Elizabeth Andress Ph.D., Director
208 Hoke Smith Annex
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: (706) 542-3773
Fax: (706) 542-1979
Email: [email protected]

This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.

It will help explain some of the processes of curing and smoking.  You will see that it is complicated and important to follow guidelines and safety information to protect everyone's health.  I will also make an Article from this too for future reference.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_rev.html#preface