Replacement of Nitrite in Meat Products by Natural Bioactive Compounds Results in Reduced Exposure to N-Nitroso Compounds: The PHYTOME Project.

Scope: It has been proposed that endogenously form N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) are partly responsible for the link between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. As nitrite has been indicated as critical factor in the formation of NOCs, the impact of replacing the additive sodium nitrite (E250) by botanical extracts in the PHYTOME project is evaluated.

Method And Results: A human dietary intervention study is conducted in which healthy subjects consume 300 g of meat for 2 weeks, in subsequent order: conventional processed red meat, white meat, and processed red meat with standard or reduced levels of nitrite and added phytochemicals.

Effects of Processing Temperature on Color Properties of Dry-Cured Hams Made without Nitrite.

Dry cured hams were investigated for their ability to develop red color even at low temperature (3-4 °C) and in the absence of added nitrites; results were compared with those obtained from nitrite-free hams made at conventional warm maturing temperatures. Colorimetric parameters (L*, a*, b*, and hue) and concentration of the main pigments Zn protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) and heme were measured at three stages of preparation (six, nine, and 12 months), showing that red color was successfully formed at low temperatures, though at a slower rate and less intensively than under warm conditions. Major differences in the pattern of color development were found with the two processing temperatures.

Sensory and texture properties of Italian typical dry-cured hams as related to maturation time and salt content.

Maturing time and salt were fixed factors and fat was a covariate in a full factorial design study of sensory and texture properties of 36 dry cured hams. Samples were chosen to fit three ageing and salt classes. Differences (P < 0.

Color formation in nitrite-free dried hams as related to Zn-protoporphyrin IX and Zn-chelatase activity.

The development of red pigment Zn-protoporphyrin IX (ZPP) in nitrite-free Parma hams was investigated in 5 leg muscles at several stages of processing and the activity of muscle Zn-chelatase was concurrently assayed for its potential role in ZPP formation. A steady increase of the pigment was observed throughout the manufacturing stages at mild temperatures while no development was observed during the prior cold resting phase. The enzyme was partly inactivated according to a muscle-dependent pattern, resulting in similar ZPP contents, hence color, in finished hams.

Competitiveness and antibacterial potential of bacteriocin-producing starter cultures in different types of fermented sausages.

Application of bacteriocin-producing starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria in fermented sausage production contributes to food safety. This is sometimes hampered by limited efficacy in situ and by uncertainty about strain dependency and universal applicability for different sausage types. In the present study, a promising antilisterial-bacteriocin producer, Lactobacillus sakei CTC 494, was applied as a coculture in addition to commercial fermentative starters in different types of dry-fermented sausages.

Changes in Zn-porphyrin and proteinous pigments in italian dry-cured ham during processing and maturation.

Substitution of iron with zinc in myoglobin during maturation of Parma ham to yield zinc porphyrin extractable by 75% vol/vol acetone/water solution and detectable by fluorescence spectroscopy, was found to occur concomitant with protein modification in myoglobin. The content of zinc porphyrin increases throughout the whole processing and maturation of Parma ham, from I(fl) 0.1±0.

Identification and characterisation of halotolerant bacteria in spoiled dry-cured hams.

Twenty bacterial strains isolated from Italian dry-cured hams affected by the so-called 'vein defect', were Gram positive, catalase and oxidase negative non-spore-forming rods. Twelve strains were identified by molecular characterisation as Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans. These strains were demonstrated to survive at high salt concentrations (up to 25% w/w, with growth up to 12% w/w), low temperatures (0-3°C) and a pH range (6-7), which is encountered within the leg arterial vein.

Monitoring chemical changes of dry-cured Parma ham during processing by surface autofluorescence spectroscopy.

Parma hams at various processing stages were investigated by surface autofluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence "landscapes" of raw meat and salted (3 months), matured (11 and 12 months), and aged (15 and 18 months) Parma hams were obtained, and a three-dimensional data array (sample x emission x excitation) was used to develop a PARAFAC model including five components, which all exhibited characteristics of pure fluorophores regarding both excitation and emission spectra. The relative amount of each component related strongly to the processing stage, and sample age showed good correlation to fluorescence data (R = 0.

Validation of manufacturing process to control pathogenic bacteria in typical dry fermented products.

Safety is the prime consideration and food manufacturers must ensure that products pose a minimum hazard to the consumer. The required safety must be achieved by preventing growth of pathogens during production and by reducing the remaining contamination to the lowest possible level. Dry and semi-dry fermented sausages are generally regarded as one of the most shelf-stable and safest meat products; they have rarely been implicated in food poisoning but sausage makers must ensure that their products do not harbour any pathogen bacteria.