Red Wine and Garlic as a Possible Alternative to Minimize the Use of Nitrite for Controlling Clostridium Sporogenes and Salmonella in a Cured Sausage: Safety and Sensory Implications

Abstract

The use of nitrite in meat products has been questioned due to its potential association with colon cancer. This work aimed to evaluate the behavior of Clostridium sporogenes (used as a surrogate for Cl. botulinum) and Salmonella in a dry-cured sausage, chouriço, made with and without nitrite and nitrate or with red wine and garlic, and to study the sensory implications through a consumer test. The survival of Cl. sporogenes and Salmonella was determined mainly by the reduction in water activity (aw), but the use of wine or wine and garlic contributed to the control of Salmonella during processing. The challenge test with Cl. sporogenes revealed no effect of the curing salts, wine, or garlic on the population of this microorganism. The use of curing salts resulted in a more reddish color that was recognized by the consumer as over-cured and artificial when compared with chouriço made with wine or wine and garlic, which were better rated in the hedonic test. In cured sausages of small caliber, the use of nitrite might be reconsidered, as the values of aw necessary to inhibit Clostridium toxinogenesis and growth are achieved rapidly.

Reduction of Nitrite in Meat Products through the Application of Various Plant-Based Ingredients

“…The addition of red wine (7.5%) to chouriço (dry-cured sausage) did not change the value of the redness parameter ( a *), which recorded the same high value as achieved with the addition of sodium nitrite (150 ppm). The authors also observed that red wine (7.5%) in combination with garlic (1%) increased the yellowness ( b *) of the product, which was thought to occur because of the interaction between the two ingredients [ 71 ]. Similar results were obtained for beef sausages treated with grape pomace (1% and 2%) combined with nitrite (30 mg/kg).…”

“…Shin et al [ 83 ] reported that there were no coliform bacteria detected in pork patties. Patarata et al [ 71 ] noted that red wine in combination with garlic showed antibacterial activity against C. sporogenes and Salmonella in dry-cured sausages—chouriços. Similar results were obtained by Aquilani et al [ 82 ].…”

“…The combination of garlic and red wine resulted in a slightly brownish color of the product. Moreover, samples prepared with wine and in combination with other plant extracts exhibited an intense cured aroma [ 71 ]. These studies show that it is possible to produce meat products with plant extracts by replacing nitrite, and yet obtain the same flavor as that of traditional products.…”

Sensory Changes and Listeria monocytogenes Behavior in Sliced Cured Pork Loins during Extended Storage

“…The formation of aromatic ketones due to lipid oxidation is further associated with the characteristic aroma of cured meat products [60], and in products made with wine, the consumer associates the cured aroma to the characteristic wine aroma [8]. The aromatic compounds formed during curing and those from the seasoning might experience chemical modifications during storage, resulting in different intensities or perceptions of the aroma [61].…”

“…There are several differences between the traditional recipes used to prepare cured loins and industrial production, namely the use of strategies to improve control over foodborne pathogens and to deal with meat with low amounts of fat that dry very easily. To ensure the control of pathogens, the use of nitrite contributes to the inhibition of Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes, among others [8,9]. The problem associated with non-spore forming pathogens with low infective doses like Salmonella or enteropathogenic Escherichia coli is commonly overcome by the use of high microbial quality raw materials and application of mild heat treatments at the beginning of the drying [10,11].…”