Effect of nitrate on residual nitrite decomposition rate in cooked cured pork

Masahiro Waga; Shiro Takeda; Ryoichi Sakata

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.03.002

Effect of nitrate on residual nitrite decomposition rate in cooked cured pork

Meat Sci. 2017 Jul:129:135-139. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.03.002. Epub 2017 Mar 6.

Authors

Masahiro Waga¹, Shiro Takeda², Ryoichi Sakata²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan. Electronic address: da1401@azabu-u.ac.jp.
² Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan.

PMID: 28284124
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.03.002

Abstract

The effects of nitrate on the color stability of cooked cured pork were examined. Nitrate inhibited the nitrite decrement and discoloration in the cooked cured ham. Nitrate reduction and nitrite accumulation were observed in the uncooked sausage models, but were not detected in the sausage models cooked at 75°C. The kinetics of nitrite degradation was subsequently examined at various concentrations of nitric acid at constant acidity. The degradation rate of nitrite was clearly found to decrease with nitric acid content. Thus, nitrate does not appear to serve as a donor of nitrite, but rather inhibits nitrite reduction in cooked meat products, with consequent prolongation of color stability.

Keywords: Color stability; Curing agent; Nitrate reducing bacteria; Nitrite depletion; Nitrosyl myoglobin; Nitrous acid.

MeSH terms

Animals
Color
Cooking*
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Meat Products / analysis*
Nitrates / analysis*
Nitrates / chemistry
Nitrites / analysis*
Nitrites / chemistry
Swine

Substances

Nitrates
Nitrites