Food Safety
Zolaykha Shiravani
Abstract
Nitrites are one of the multifunctional additives used in meat products. Given that they have high performance such as color creation, flavor improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they have caused consumer concern due to the formation of N-nitroso compounds and related health risks. ...
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Nitrites are one of the multifunctional additives used in meat products. Given that they have high performance such as color creation, flavor improvement, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they have caused consumer concern due to the formation of N-nitroso compounds and related health risks. Consumers demand natural or low-nitrite meat products. Synthetic nitrites are widely used because of their cheapness and easy access. However, due to the formation of nitrosamines, researchers are looking for a safer alternative to this additive. Plants, due to their nitrate content, can be used as natural nitrite sources by nitrate-reducing bacteria. Also, emerging non-thermal technologies such as atmospheric non-thermal plasma and pulsed electric fields can have the potential to be considered as new approaches for nitrite reduction. However, challenges regarding the stability of their sensory properties and antimicrobial efficacy remain. This review systematically evaluates the multifunctional role of nitrites, their health-related implications and potential substitution strategies, and addresses safe, effective, and acceptable solutions for producing high-quality meat and processed products with natural ingredients with a nitrite reduction approach.
Food Packaging
Zolaykha Shiravani; Mohieddin Kazemi
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of active bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) films immersed in sodium nitrite (SN; 30, 60, and 120 ppm), sumac extract (SE; 10% w/v), and black carrot extract (BCE; 5% w/v) solutions on the microbial and chemical properties of ground beef. The addition of SN, SE ...
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This study aimed to investigate the effects of active bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) films immersed in sodium nitrite (SN; 30, 60, and 120 ppm), sumac extract (SE; 10% w/v), and black carrot extract (BCE; 5% w/v) solutions on the microbial and chemical properties of ground beef. The addition of SN, SE and BCE to BNC films strengthened the matrix network and improved the mechanical properties of the films. The SN120 treatment (BNC film immersed in 120 ppm SN solution) effectively improved the redness of the samples. The results also showed that the ground beef samples covered with BNC film immersed in SE10BCE5SN30 had the lowest microbial load (more than 3.5 log10 cycle reduction compared to the control) and the lowest oxidation rate (60% reduction compared to control). Consequently, considering the health concerns regarding nitrosamine compounds, the use of natural compounds such as SE and BCE in BNC films can reduce the amount of SN required in meat products.
