Time-dependent depletion of nitrite in pork/beef and chicken meat products and its effect on nitrite intake estimation

Abstract

The food additive nitrite (E249, E250) is commonly used in meat curing as a food preservation method. Because of potential negative health effects of nitrite, its use is strictly regulated. In an earlier study we have shown that the calculated intake of nitrite in children can exceed the acceptable daily intake (ADI) when conversion from dietary nitrate to nitrite is included. This study examined time-dependent changes in nitrite levels in four Swedish meat products frequently eaten by children: pork/beef sausage, liver paté and two types of chicken sausage, and how the production process, storage and also boiling (e.g., simmering in salted water) and frying affect the initial added nitrite level. The results showed a steep decrease in nitrite level between the point of addition to the product and the first sampling of the product 24 h later. After this time, residual nitrite levels continued to decrease, but much more slowly, until the recommended use-by date. Interestingly, this continuing decrease in nitrite was much smaller in the chicken products than in the pork/beef products. In a pilot study on pork/beef sausage, we found no effects of boiling on residual nitrite levels, but frying decreased nitrite levels by 50%. In scenarios of time-dependent depletion of nitrite using the data obtained for sausages to represent all cured meat products and including conversion from dietary nitrate, calculated nitrite intake in 4-year-old children generally exceeded the ADI. Moreover, the actual intake of nitrite from cured meat is dependent on the type of meat source, with a higher residual nitrite levels in chicken products compared with pork/beef products. This may result in increased nitrite exposure among consumers shifting their consumption pattern of processed meats from red to white meat products.

It is rocket science – why dietary nitrate is hard to ‘beet’! Part II: further mechanisms and therapeutic potential of the nitrate‐nitrite‐NO pathway

“…From infancy onwards, exposure continues as nitrite (E249, E250) and nitrate (E251, E252) are widely‐used EU‐approved food additives for meat preservation, to reduce pathogenic growth, most notably Clostridium botulinum , with sodium nitrite added in concentrations up to 150 mg kg −1 . However, the nitrite concentration has recently been shown to decrease by 85% within the first 24 hours of addition for chicken liver pate . We speculate that this could be related to the high concentrations of xanthine oxidoreductase in liver, which will rapidly metabolize nitrite to NO.…”

Nitrates/Nitrites in Food—Risk for Nitrosative Stress and Benefits

“…The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research rates the evidence on diets high in vegetables and/or fruits in the context of protection against a variety of cancers. This research considered whether this effect is also related to high nitrite content [16].…”

Pengaruh Penggorengan Terhadap Kandungan Nitrit Dalam Kornet

“…Dari tabel di atas terlihat bahwa proses penggorengan produk kornet daging sapi berpengaruh terhadap penurunan kadar nitrit dalam kornet. Hal tersebut terjadi di semua perlakuan suhu pengorengan yaitu suhu 100 0 C, 125 o C dan 185 o C. Hal ini disebabkan karena proses transfer massa / difusi molekuler dimana senyawa senyawa nitrit yang berkonsentrasi tinggi di dalam produk kornet kemudian akan merembes keluar menuju media minyak goreng.Sejalan dengan penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Merino et all yang mengemukakan bahwa proses penggorengan akan menurunkan kadar nitri hingga lebih dari 50% sedangkan pengolahan kornet dengan proses pengukusan bisa jadi tidak berpengaruh terhadap penurunan nitrit [8] . Dari gambar grafik di atas tampak bahwa terjadi penurunan kadar nitrit di semua perlakuan suhu penggorengan kornet yaitu suhu 100°C; 125°C dan suhu 185°C.…”