Clean Label Meat Technology: Pre-Converted Nitrite as a Natural Curing

Abstract

Clean labeling is emerging as an important issue in the food industry, particularly for meat products that contain many food additives. Among synthetic additives, nitrite is the most important additive in the meat processing industry and is related to the development of cured color and flavor, inhibition of oxidation, and control of microbial growth in processed meat products. As an alternative to synthetic nitrite, pre-converted nitrite from natural microorganisms has been investigated, and the applications of pre-converted nitrite have been reported. Natural nitrate sources mainly include fruits and vegetables with high nitrate content. Celery juice or powder form have been used widely in various studies. Many types of commercial starter cultures have been developed. S. carnosus is used as a critical nitrate reducing microorganism and lactic acid bacteria or other Staphylococcus species also were used. Pre-converted nitrite has also been compared with synthetic nitrite and studies have been aimed at improving utilization by exploiting the strengths (positive consumer attitude and decreased residual nitrite content) and limiting the weaknesses (remained carcinogenic risk) of pre-converted nitrite. Moreover, as concerns regarding the use of synthetic nitrites increased, research was conducted to meet consumer demands for the use of natural nitrite from raw materials. In this report, we review and discuss various studies in which synthetic nitrite was replaced with natural materials and evaluate pre-converted nitrite technology as a natural curing approach from a clean label perspective in the manufacturing of processed meat products.

Use of Green Tea Extract and Rosemary Extract in Naturally Cured Pork Sausages with White Kimchi Powder

“…In this study, a lower residual nitrite content in all naturally cured sausages (treatments 1 to 6) was observed when compared to control sausages (p<0.05) (Table 3). Several previous studies using nitrate-rich plant substitutes as natural sources to replace synthetic nitrite in alternatively cured meat products have shown a similar trend Jeong et al, 2020a;Jeong et al, 2020b;Sebranek and Bacus, 2007a;Yong et al, 2021). These results could be interpreted in two ways.…”

“…The demands of consumers interested in health are causing clean-label trends such as organic and preservative-free foods to emerge in the food industry ( Asioli et al, 2017 ; Yong et al, 2021 ). In the meat-processing industry, nitrite is widely used as an essential food additive that develops the typical cured meat color and flavor, improves microbiological safety, and provides antioxidant activity ( Honikel, 2008 ; Pegg and Shahidi, 2000 ; Sebranek, 2009 ; Sebranek and Bacus, 2007a ).…”

“…As a result, naturally cured products have similar quality characteristics to traditionally cured products ( Choi et al, 2020 ; Jeong et al., 2020a ; Jeong et al, 2020b ; Krause et al, 2011 ; Sebranek and Bacus, 2007a ; Sucu and Turp, 2018 ). However, most naturally cured meat products generally have a lower residual nitrite concentration and relatively large variation compared to traditionally cured meat products ( Sebranek and Bacus, 2007a ; Sindelar et al, 2007 ; Yong et al, 2021 ). For this reason, products containing natural nitrite/nitrate derived from vegetables may have reduced antioxidant capacity and may be less able to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.…”

Clean Label Alternatives in Meat Products

“…To achieve this, meat curing is a well-developed processing stage that includes the addition of salt, nitrite and nitrate even on fresh-cut meat imparting several distinctive properties to the meat products [ 21 , 22 ]. The main synthetic nitrites used in the meat industry are sodium nitrite (NaNO 2 ) and potassium nitrite (KNO 2 ) because they are cost-effective, stable, and easy to prepare and use [ 23 ]. Before using compounds of natural origin as a replacement for nitrite, their antimicrobial efficacy should be examined, and this review provides a comparison of the published data.…”

“…Foodborne pathogens can easily contaminate raw meat or meat products, and during prolonged periods of storage, spoilage microorganisms may produce an unwanted visual appearance and diminish their organoleptic properties. Research for additives of natural origin with antimicrobial activities, especially of plant origin, has notably increased in recent years [ 23 ]. Numerous natural extracts have been applied to meat and meat products, with herbs and spices being the most used as clean-label alternatives to nitrites and sulphites [ 24 ].…”