Effects of the Use of Staphylococcus carnosus in the Curing Process of Meat with a Reduced Amount of Sodium Nitrite on Colour, Residue Nitrite and Nitrate, Content of Nitrosyl Pigments, and Microbiological and the Sensory Quality of Cooked Meat Product

Abstract

The aim of the work was to apply the bacteria Staphylococcus carnosus ATCC 51365 in the meat curing process with the use of a reduced amount of sodium nitrite and to evaluate the effects of bacteria on residual nitrites and nitrates, the content of nitrosyl pigments, colour, pH, oxidation-reduction potential, microbiological, and the sensory quality of a cooked meat product. Three meat batters in cans were prepared: (C) a control batter cured with NaNO2—100 mg/kg, (L) a batter cured with NaNO2—15 mg/kg, and (LS) a batter cured with NaNO2—15 mg/kg and S. carnosus (107 CFU/g). The cans were stored at a temperature of 4°C for 24 h (curing time) and cooked. The analysis was carried out after production and after 4 and 8 weeks of storage. The use of denitrifying bacteria in the curing process with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite increased the availability of nitrite in the meat, by reducing nitrates formed as a result of a dismutation reaction. The reaction contributed to the formation of nitrosyl pigments in a larger quantity than in the treatment in which the denitrifying bacteria were not used. The LS treatment was characterized by the greatest redness. The colour of the LS treatment was stable during storage. No negative effect of S. carnosus on the sensory quality of the meat product was found. The use of S. carnosus had no influence on the microbiological quality of meat product during storage.

The Use of the Mixed Bacteria Limosilactobacillus fermentum and Staphylococcus carnosus in the Meat Curing Process with a Reduced Amount of Sodium Nitrite

“…In the further hours of light exposure, colour change of the model products was less intense (Tables 2 and 3). A similar dependence was reported in previous research [15].…”

“…Whereas Heaton et al [43] reported that decreasing the nitrite amount from 16 to 13 mg/kg had a significant effect on redness (a*) in cooked poultry rolls. In other research performed on finely ground cooked pork batters it was proved that when using 100 mg/kg of added sodium nitrite a significantly higher a* parameter value in the product was reported compared to a lower sodium nitrite amount (15 mg/kg) [15]. In other studies, sodium nitrite added in the production of Asian sausages (120 mg/kg), has been replaced with cochineal (0.05%), vitamin C (0.05%), vitamin E (0.05%), and celery (1%), which can be a natural source of nitrites and nitrates.…”

“…In addition, nitrite could react again with meat heme pigments in raw meat batter. This process could take place many times during the 24 h of curing the meat and affect the amount of nitrosyl pigments in the SL treatment after cooking [15].…”

“…The electrons detached from the respiration substrate are bonded by the nitrate reductase enzyme to nitrates and form nitrites [14]. Proper use of selected strains of the Staphylococcus carnosus bacteria in the meat curing process may be useful in reducing the amount of sodium nitrite added into heat treated meat products by reducing nitrates formed from oxidized nitrite [15]. On the other hand, using only Staphylococcus carnosus bacteria in nitrite meat curing may not bring about the intended effects.…”

Alternative Curing Methods

“…The term "alternative curing" refers to the process that specific microorganisms reduce nitrate within these plant sources to nitrite. Nitrate-reducing bacteria which are used are coagulase negative cocci such as Staphylococcus (S.) carnosus or S. xylosus [25,38,[40][41][42]. The extent of nitrate reduction is achieved by certain temperature/time combinations [24,34,40]).…”