Abstract

Introduction. The increasing global consumption of processed meat products has led to certain concerns. For instance, processed meat products are known to contain carcinogen precursor compounds, thus creating the risk of chronic diseases. The present study was performed to estimate the food safety status of processed meat products available in Iran and evaluate the related effective factors.
Study objects and methods. 140 samples of seven most popular commercial types of cooked sausages were obtained from four major meat factories (A, B, C and D) in 140 samples were collected from seven most popular commercial types of cooked sausages as follows: beef salami 90%, chicken salami 90%, dry cured sausage 70%, dry cured salami 60%, beef sausages 55%, chicken sausages 55% and Frankfurt sausage 40% (n = 5) from four major meat factories (A, B, C and D) in Tehran. The samples were screened for residual nitrite, ascorbic acid, and nitrosamine contents on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. The results indicated that products from meat factory B had lower residual nitrite content in the samples with high content of meat. Beef salami (90% of meat) and Frankfurt sausage (40% of meat) contained the lowest and highest amounts of residual nitrite on day 0 – 73.99 and 177.42 mg of nitrite per 1 kg of meat, respectively.
Results and discussion. Beef salami contained 90% of meat, chicken salami – 90%, dry cured sausage –70%, dry cured salami – 60%, beef sausages – 55%, chicken sausages – 55%, and Frankfurt sausage – 40% (n = 5). Nitrite reduction rates in sausages with a smaller diameter, e.g. Frankfurt sausage, were significantly lower (P < 0.05), compared to salami samples. The difference can be explained by the shorter cooking time. Nitrosamine formation increased during refrigerated storage; however, it was not significant in all samples. During refrigerated storage, nitrosamine formation depended on the level of added nitrite, the amount of residual nitrite, ascorbic acid, pH, and cooking temperature. Ascorbic acid content decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during refrigerated storage.
Conclusion. The findings demonstrate significant correlation between the meat content, cooking time, nitrite content, and nitrosamine formation.

Keywords

Meat industry, processed meat, meat products safety, carcinogenic agents, preservation

FUNDING

This research was financially supported by National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI) of Iran.

REFERENCES

1. Herrmann SS, Granby K, Duedahl-Olesen L. Formation and mitigation of N-nitrosamines in nitrite preserved cooked sausages. Food Chemistry. 2015;174:516–526. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.11.101.
2. Herrmann SS, Duedahl-Olesen L, Christensen T, Olesen PT, Granby K. Dietary exposure to volatile and non-volatile N-nitrosamines from processed meat products in Denmark. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2015;80:137–143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2015.03.008.
3. Vazquez-Torres A, Baumler AJ. Nitrate, nitrite and nitric oxide reductases: from the last universal common ancestor to modern bacterial pathogens. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 2016;29:1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2015.09.002.
4. Oliveira N, Girao C, Girao C. Impact of nitrosamines on carcinogenesis at the digestive system level. DNA. 2017;3.
5. Park J-E, Seo J-E, Lee J-Y, Kwon H. Distribution of seven N-nitrosamines in food. Toxicological Research. 2015;31(3):279–288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5487/tr.2015.31.3.279.
6. De Mey E, De Maere H, Paelinck H, Fraeye I. Volatile N-nitrosamines in meat products: Potential precursors, influence of processing, and mitigation strategies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2017;57(13):2909–2923. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2015.1078769.
7. Colle MJ, Richard RP, Colle MC, Loucks WI, Doumit ME. Effects of ascorbic acid and rosemary extract on quality characteristics and sensory perception of extended aged beef. Meat Science. 2016;(112). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.091.
8. Keszei AP, Schouten LJ, Driessen ALC, Huysentruyt CJR, Keulemans YCA, Goldbohm RA, et al. Vegetable, fruit and nitrate intake in relation to the risk of Barrett’s oesophagus in a large Dutch cohort. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014;111(8):1452–1462. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114513003929.
9. Tricker AR, Preussmann R. Carcinogenic N-nitrosamines in the diet – occurrence, formation, mechanisms and carcinogenic potential. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology. 1991;259(3–4):277–289. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1218(91)90123-4.
10. Zhu QQ, Wang JP, Liu SS, Zhang Y. Determination of four volatile N-nitrosamines in the process of Chinese preserved meat. Proceedings of the 2015 International Conference on Materials, Environmental and Biological Engineering. 2015;10:618–621.
11. Cantwell M, Elliott C. Nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines from processed meat intake and colorectal cancer risk. Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics. 2017;3(4):27–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2472-1921.100062.
12. Official methods of analysis of AOAC International, 18th Edition. Washington DC: The Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 1995.
13. Ramezani H, Hosseini H, Kamankesh M, Ghasemzadeh-Mohammadi V, Mohammadi A. Rapid determination of nitrosamines in sausage and salami using microwave-assisted extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. European Food Research and Technology. 2015;240(2): 441–450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-014-2343-4.
14. Hernandez Y, Lobo MG, Gonzalez M. Determination of vitamin C in tropical fruits: A comparative evaluation of methods. Food Chemistry. 2006;96(4):654–664. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.04.012.
15. Zhang HC, Sun CB, Han WJ, Zhang JX, Hou JC. Analysis of the monitoring status of residual nitrite in meat products in China from 2000 to 2011. Meat Science. 2018;136:30–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.10.009.
16. Waga M, Takeda S, Sakata R. Effect of nitrate on residual nitrite decomposition rate in cooked cured pork. Meat Science. 2017;129:135–139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.03.002.
17. Hosseini H, Ahmadi H, Akhavan H, Ferdowsi R, Khaksar R, Shahraz F, et al. Growth patterns of aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms, moulds and yeasts in four heated red-meat product groups during storage. Iranian Journal of Nutrition Sciences & Food Technology. 2008;3(2):33–40.
18. Ford PC. Reactions of NO and nitrite with heme models and proteins. Inorganic Chemistry. 2010;49(14):6226–6239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ic902073z.
19. Honikel KO. The use and control of nitrate and nitrite for the processing of meat products. Meat Science. 2008; 78(1–2):68–76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.05.030.
20. Vasilopoulos C, De Vuyst L, Leroy F. Shelf-life reduction as an emerging problem in cooked hams underlines the need for improved preservation strategies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2015;55(10):1425–1443. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.695413.
21. Varvara M, Bozzo G, Celano G, Disanto C, Pagliarone CN, Celano GV. The use of ascorbic acid as a food additive: technical-legal issues. Italian Journal of Food Safety. 2016;5(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2016.4313.
22. Burdurlu HS, Koca N, Karadeniz F. Degradation of vitamin C in citrus juice concentrates during storage. Journal of Food Engineering. 2006;74(2):211–216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2005.03.026.
23. Pogge DJ, Lonergan SM, Hansen SL. Effects of duration of vitamin C supplementation during the finishing period on postmortem protein degradation, tenderness, and meat color of the longissimus muscle of calf-fed steers consuming a 0.31 or 0.59% sulfur diet. Journal of Animal Science. 2015;93(5):2567–2575. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas. 2014-8798.
24. Ruiz BG, et al. An original approach to study ascorbic acid degradation kinetics as a function of temperature (50–90°C) and O2 concentration (0–30%). 12th International Congress on Engineering and Food; 2015. Québec.
25. Pegg RB, Shahidi F. Nitrite curing of meat: The N-nitrosamine problem and nitrite alternatives. Wiley-Blackwell; 2008. 280 p.
26. Villaverde A, Ventanas J, Estevez M. Nitrite promotes protein carbonylation and Strecker aldehyde formation in experimental fermented sausages: Are both events connected? Meat Science. 2014;98(4):665–672. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.06.017.
27. Feng XC, Li CY, Jia X, Gu Y, Lei N, Hackman RM, et al. Influence of sodium nitrite on protein oxidation and nitrosation of sausages subjected to processing and storage. Meat Science. 2016;116:260–267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.01.017.
28. Williams DLH. Nitrosation reactions and the chemistry of nitric oxide. Elsevier; 2004. 280 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-51721-0.X5000-2.