Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University Food Safety and Packaging 3092-7668 1 3 2025 11 01 Natural alternatives and innovative approaches to reduce nitrite level in processed meat: A review 147 158 121800 10.30466/fsp.2025.56688.1019 EN Zolaykha Shiravani Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran Journal Article 2025 10 22 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. https://fsp.urmia.ac.ir/article_121800_b820f8a44a1f143819092ddc0ea547cb.pdf