Design of a Low Concentration Sodium Nitrite Meat Product by Including Ullucus tuberosum from Ventaquemada, Boyacá, Colombia

Introduction: Sodium nitrite (SN) is an antimicrobial food additive widely used by the meat industry for the manufacture of sausages. SN is transformed into N-nitrosamines, which are known to be carcinogenic and mutagenic. Therefore, several alternatives have been explored to find compounds capable of replacing SN and ensuring the microbiological stability of the product. It has been demonstrated that the incorporation of plant extracts allows a reduction in the amount of SN added. Ullucus tuberosum (UT) is a Colombian tuber that has been suggested to have antimicrobial properties. In addition, it has been established that the inclusion of UT in food products does not cause a significant modification of the sensory profile of the product.

Purpose: The objective of this study was, therefore, to design a meat product (sausage), including UT to obtain a low concentration SN sausage, with a negligible modification of the sensory profile, and a improved microbiological stability.

Methods: Sausage formulations, with the addition of 4.5% (w/w) UT and SN concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 mg/kg of meat emulsion, were produced. Then, the microbiological stability (shelf life measured by the aerobic mesophilic count) and the sensory profile [affective hedonic test (AHT) with 73 untrained panelists] of all products were evaluated. The control corresponded to the sausage formulation with no addition of UT and 200 mg/kg SN.

Results: On one hand, the sausage formulation containing UT and 100 mg/kg SN exhibited the same shelf life as compared to the control (20 days). On the other hand, AHT revealed that the sausage containing UT and 100 mg/kg SN exhibited the best sensory profile of all of the tested sausages.

Significance: The importance of this study lies is the obtention of processed foods with improved microbiological, sensory, and nutritional quality, which encourage the use of ancestral plant species that are marginalized.