Green Alternatives to Nitrates and Nitrites in Meat-based Products-A Review.
Several food additives are added in food for their preservation to maintain the freshness of food (antioxidants) or to slow down or stop the growth of microorganisms (preservative agents). Nitrites and nitrates are used as preservative agents in meat. Nitrites give a smoked taste, a pinkish color in the meat and protect the consumers against the risk of bacterial deterioration. Their addition is however very limited as, in high dose, it can have risks on human health and the environment. Nitrites may also combine with secondary or tertiary amines to form N-nitroso derivatives. Certain N-nitroso compounds have been shown to produce cancers in a wide range of laboratory animals. Thus, alternatives of nitrates and nitrites are the object of numerous research studies. Alternatives, such as the addition of vitamins, fruits, chemicals products, natural products containing nitrite or spices, which have similar properties of nitrites, are in evaluation. In fact, spices are considered to have several organoleptic and anti-microbial properties which would be interesting to study. Several spices and combinations of spices are being progressively evaluated. This review discusses the sources of nitrites and nitrates, their use as additives in food products, their physicochemical properties, their negatives effects and the use of alternatives of nitrites and nitrates in preserving meat products.
a Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique Centre Eau, Terre & Environnement Centre for Water, Earth and Environmen , Quebec , Quebec , Canada.
Fatma
F
Gassara
b Département des sols et de Génie Agroalimentaire , Pavillon Paul-Comtois, Université Laval , Quebec , Quebec , Canada.
Anne Patricia
AP
Kouassi
a Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique Centre Eau, Terre & Environnement Centre for Water, Earth and Environmen , Quebec , Quebec , Canada.
Satinder Kaur
SK
Brar
c Faculté des Sciences de L'agriculture et de L'alimentation Sces Agriculture et Alimentation, Dép. sols et Génie Agroalimentaire , Quebec , Quebec , Canada.
Khaled
K
Belkacemi
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D005503:Food Additives; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005520:Food Preservatives; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009573:Nitrites / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000737:chemistry; D017365:Spices
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005503:Food Additives; D005520:Food Preservatives; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009602:Nitrosamines
Green alternatives nitrates; meat products; nitrites