Chemistry, safety, and regulatory considerations in the use of nitrite and nitrate from natural origin in meat products

Nitrite and nitrate have been traditionally used for the preservation of meat products because of the effective antimicrobial action of nitrite against Clostridium botulinum, the outgrowth of its spores as well as other bacteria. However, the use of nitrite and nitrate has been questioned in last ha...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Flores Llovera, Mónica, Toldrá Vilardell, Fidel
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/217787
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/217787
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Nitrite
Nitrate
Cured meats
Nitrosamines
Spices
Vegetable extracts
Descrição
Resumo:Nitrite and nitrate have been traditionally used for the preservation of meat products because of the effective antimicrobial action of nitrite against Clostridium botulinum, the outgrowth of its spores as well as other bacteria. However, the use of nitrite and nitrate has been questioned in last half century due to the possible generation of N-nitrosamines through reaction of nitrite with secondary amines. Nitrite replacement strategies began in the 70s addressing these issues and instigated searches for natural alternatives to nitrate and nitrite, or for natural sources of nitrite and nitrate such as vegetable extracts. These alternatives have been considered by producers and consumers as an attractive practice even though they may also have some risks. This manuscript reviews and discusses the chemistry, safety, and regulatory considerations in the use of nitrite and nitrate from natural origin for the preservation of meat products.