Effect of Muscle Type on Residual Nitrite in Cured Meat

Abstract

When a cured meat model system was made from white muscle it contained less residual nitrite than if it were made from a red muscle; this effect is due to the lower pH of white muscle. If the pH of red and white muscle is similar then the slightly lower residual nitrite in products made from red muscle probably is due to the greater content of myoglobin in red muscle. INTIiODUCTION CONSIDERABLEATTENTION has been focused recently on the use of nitrite in foods. The reason for this is twofold. First, a potential exists for reaction of nitrite with amines or amides to form N-nitroso compounds which are carcinogenic. Second, the residual nitrite content of cured meats represents one source of nitrite consumed by humans. Since such residual nitrite is a known measurable source, it deserves some scrutiny in terms of not only significance but also in regard to procedures for influencing the level of residual nitrite in the finished product.Some of the nitrite added to meat for curing disappearsthat means it cannot be identified analytically as residual nitrite nor can it be accounted for via known reaction pathways. A review of work pertinent to the fate of nitrite has been made by Cassens et al. (1974), and a complete account of aspects regarding the use of nitrite in meat products is found in the proceedings of the Symposium edited by Krol and Tinbergen (1974).Muscles are composed of muscle fibers; muscle fibers consist of at least two distinctly different types known generally as red and white (Cooper et al., 1969).'The gross properties of a-muscle result from the ratio of the two types of fibers present. Visual color, for example, is a reflection of predominant fiber type within a muscle, and usually varies consistently among different muscles. This is readily apparent on the cross-sectional surface of a ham which shows several muscles of different degrees of color. Red muscle fibers have a higher myoglobin content, more lipid and higher activity of oxidative enzymes than do white fibers. White muscle fibers contain inore glycogen than red muscle fibers; therefore, postmortem glycolysis results in a lower pH in white muscle (predominance of white fibers) than in red muscle.The objective of the work reported herein was to determine the effect of muscle type on residual nitrite in a model cured meat system. The rationale was to develop information about the possibility of regulating residual nitrite in cured meat by utilizing the natural characteristics of the fresh meat selected for further processing. MATERIALS & METHODSLONGISSIMUS WAS used as a white muscle, Trapezius as a red muscle, and white and red portions were taken from the Semitendinosus (Beecher et al., 1965). All samples were excised from the carcass 1 day postmortem, frozen in liquid nitrogen and pulverized with a blendor. After pH was measured, 5 ml of solution containing sodium nitrite was added to log of muscle sample to make final 156 ppm nitrite and mixed well with a plastic rod. In other aliquots of some samples, pH was adjusted; lactic acid was us...

Biogenic Amine Formation and Nitrite Reactions in Meat Batter As Affected by High-Pressure Processing and Chilled Storage

“…Different authors have highlighted the conversion of nitrite into nitrate in meat products in amounts larger than those observed in this experiment (10,25,37). However, in the absence of reducing agents the level of conversion was considerably lower (11).…”

“…Because the nitrite added to meat products interacts with several components of the complex biological systems, it is known to become rapidly depleted depending on factors such as initial nitrite concentration, presence of reductants, acidity, product composition, and processing and storage conditions (9,10). In spite of the desirable benefits of nitrite, there has been controversy over its use as a meat-curing agent, partly because of its potential to react with amines and amides to form carcinogens and partly because of its contribution as a source of nitrite in human nutrition (11). Recently, it has been highlighted that residual nitrite found in cured meat products has been substantially reduced (as much as 80%), thanks to, among other factors, changes in the manufacturing process (12,13).…”

Incubation of curing brines for the production of ready-to-eat uncured ham

“…, reported that as pH decreases, the reactivity of nitrite increases due to more favorable nitritemyoglobin interactions resulting in lower residual nitrite concentrations. This is in agreement with Lee, Cassens and Fennema (1976) who demonstrated that a lower pH directly resulted in lower concentrations of residual nitrite.…”

Investigating the control of Listeria monocytogenes on uncured, no-nitrate-or-nitrite-added meat products

“…The presence or addition of curing accelerators including ascorbate and erythorbate, serve as reducing agents which in turn accelerate the curing reaction resulting in lower levels of residual nitrite (Lee and Shimakoa 1984). Lee, Cassens and Fennema (1976) (Sebranek 1979). Addition of non-meat ingredients including alkaline phosphates and the addition of poultry meat in the formulation has also been found to alter overall product pH in turn effecting residual nitrite levels (Prusa and Kregel 1985).…”