Curing it seeks to prevent the product from degrading on its own terms. It doesn't really help protect against contamination that happens after the curing. So,

Curing it seeks to prevent the product from degrading on its own terms. It doesn't really help protect against contamination that happens after the curing. So, while the cured meat itself isn't a great environment for bacteria/other pathogens to grow, if it gets other organic material on it, or if something else happens to compromise the curing, it can still be a vector.