• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.173-184
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• 2021

Clean labeling is emerging as an important issue in the food industry, particularly for meat products that contain many food additives. Among synthetic additives, nitrite is the most important additive in the meat processing industry and is related to the development of cured color and flavor, inhibition of oxidation, and control of microbial growth in processed meat products. As an alternative to synthetic nitrite, preconverted nitrite from natural microorganisms has been investigated, and the applications of pre-converted nitrite have been reported. Natural nitrate sources mainly include fruits and vegetables with high nitrate content. Celery juice or powder form have been used widely in various studies. Many types of commercial starter cultures have been developed. S. carnosus is used as a critical nitrate reducing microorganism and lactic acid bacteria or other Staphylococcus species also were used. Pre-converted nitrite has also been compared with synthetic nitrite and studies have been aimed at improving utilization by exploiting the strengths (positive consumer attitude and decreased residual nitrite content) and limiting the weaknesses (remained carcinogenic risk) of pre-converted nitrite. Moreover, as concerns regarding the use of synthetic nitrites increased, research was conducted to meet consumer demands for the use of natural nitrite from raw materials. In this report, we review and discuss various studies in which synthetic nitrite was replaced with natural materials and evaluate pre-converted nitrite technology as a natural curing approach from a clean label perspective in the manufacturing of processed meat products.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1603-1610
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of fermented spinach derived nitrite and sodium nitrite on cured pork loin. Methods: The following treatments were prepared using brine (8% [w/v] salt): Control (-), no nitrite added; Control (+), 0.08% (w/v) sodium nitrite brine; T1, 0.04% (w/v) nitrite fermented spinach juice in 0.04% (w/v) sodium nitrite brine; T2, spinach juice in 0.04% (w/v) sodium nitrite brine; T3, 0.04% (w/v) nitrite fermented spinach juice used as sodium nitrite free brine; and T4, spinach juice used as sodium nitrite free brine. T2 and T4 were incubated to allow to reduce nitrate to nitrite. Results: Spinach juice did not affect cooking loss and pH but negatively influenced flavor and overall acceptability (p<0.05). T1 samples containing synthetic and natural nitrites showed the highest redness values. Spinach juice negatively affected volatile basic nitrogen; however, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values of T1 and T3 were similar to those of controls (+) (p>0.05). Residual nitrite content decreased with decreasing synthetic nitrite levels. T1 and control samples showed no significant differences in overall acceptability (p>0.05). Conclusion: Thus, combined synthetic and natural nitrites improved the quality of cured pork loin.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.502-511
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• 2023

The use of nitrite as a conventional curing agent is decreasing because of the negative consumer perception of synthetic compounds in foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of dongchimi as an alternative to synthetic nitrite and its effect on the qualitative properties of emulsion-type sausages. Under all tested fermentation conditions, both nitrite and nitrate contents were the highest when dongchimi was fermented at 0℃ for 1 wk. The fermented dongchimi was powdered and added to the sausages. Emulsion-type sausages were prepared with 0.25% (treatment 1), 0.35% (treatment 2), 0.45% (treatment 3), or 0.55% (treatment 4) dongchimi powder, with 0.01% sodium nitrite-treated (control 1) and 0.40% celery powder-treated (control 2) sausages as controls. There were not different (p>0.05) in the pH, cooking yield, CIE L^*, and CIE a^* between the control 1 and treatments 2, 3, and 4. CIE b^* was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the control 2 and lower (p<0.05) in the control 1 than that in the other groups. Treatment 4 and control 1 had similar contents of residual nitrite, nitrosyl hemochrome, and total pigment. Additionally, treatment 4 exhibited a significantly better (p<0.05) curing efficiency than the control 1. However, naturally cured sausages showed higher (p<0.05) lipid oxidation than the control 1. This study suggests that the use of more than 0.35% dongchimi powder could replace sodium nitrite or celery powder as curing agents for emulsion-type sausages.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.512-526
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• 2020

Synthetic nitrite is considered an undesirable preservative for meat products; thus, controlling synthetic nitrite concentrations is important from the standpoint of food safety. We investigated 1,000 species of microorganisms from various kimchi preparations for their potential use as a starter culture for the production of nitrites. We used 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis to select a starter culture with excellent nitrite and nitric oxide productivity, which we subsequently identified as Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113. That starter culture was grown in NaCl (up to 9%; w/v) at 10℃-40℃; its optimum growth was observed at 30℃ at pH 4.0-10.0. It exhibited nonproteolytic activity and antibacterial activity against Clostridium perfringens, a bacterium that causes food poisoning symptoms. Analysis of Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113 with an API ZYM system did not reveal the presence of β-glucuronidase, and tests of the starter culture on 5% (v/v) sheep blood agar showed no hemolytic activity. Our results demonstrated the remarkable stability of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113, especially in strain negative for staphylococcal enterotoxins and sensitive to clinically relevant antibiotics. Moreover, Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113 exhibited a 45.5% conversion rate of nitrate to nitrite, with nitrate levels reduced to 25% after 36 h of culturing in the minimal medium supplemented with nitrate (200 ppm). The results clearly demonstrated the safety and utility of Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113, and therefore its suitability as a starter culture.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.469-474
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• 2006

Partial nitrification blocking of the oxidation of nitrite ($NO_{2}^{-}$) to nitrate ($NO_{3}^{-}$) has cost-efficient advantages such as lower oxygen and organics demand for nitrification and denitrification, respectively. A nitrifying membrane bioreactor of submerged type was operated for the treatment of synthetic ammonium wastewater with the purpose of nitrite build-up without affecting the efficiency of ammonium oxidation. A high ammonium concentration (1,000 mg/l) was completely converted to nitrate at up to 2 kg $N/m^3$ day under sufficient aeration. The control of pH under sufficient aeration was not a reliable strategy to maintain stable nitrite build-up. When the dissolved oxygen concentration was kept at 0.2-0.4 mg/l by adjusting the aeration rate, about 70% of nitrite content was obtained with ammonium oxidation efficiency higher than 93%. The increase of suction pressure due to membrane fouling was not significant under lowered aerating environment over a 6-month period of operation. The composition of nitrifier community, including relative abundance of nitrite oxidizers in a nitrite-accumulating condition, was quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.94-104
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• 2018

Nitrite is an essential additive for cured meat product. Plasma is ionized gas and reactive nitrogen species in plasma can be infused into meat batter and subsequently generate nitrites by reaction with water molecules after plasma treatment. However, the increase of nitrite in meat batter is limited with direct treatment of atmospheric pressure cold plasma because of the increase of meat batter temperature. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of indirect treatment of atmospheric pressure cold plasma on the physicochemical properties of meat batter. Meat batter was indirectly treated with plasma at 1.5 kW for 60 min. The pH of meat batter decreased while the temperature increased with plasma treatment time. The total aerobic bacterial count of meat batter was not affected by plasma treatment. The nitrite content of meat batter was increased to 377.68 mg/kg after 60 min of plasma treatment. The residual nitrite content of cooked meat batter also increased with plasma treatment time. The CIE $a^*$-value of cooked meat batter increased. As plasma treatment time increased, lipid oxidation tended to increase and protein oxidation significantly increased. According to these results, the indirect treatment of atmospheric pressure cold plasma can be used as a new curing method for replacing synthetic nitrite salts.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.590-593
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• 2001

The effect of salinity on the nitrification efficiency of the nitrifier consortium was evaluated for the nitrification of saline wastewater. The nitrifier consortium, which was the activated sludge acclimated with ammonium as the only energy source, was used as the nitrifier for the salt acclimation. Airlift reactors for the nitrification of ammonia with increasing concentration in saline synthetic wastewater (35 g/I NaCD, and synthetic wastewater without salt as a control, were continuously operated with the nitrifier consortium for 43 days. The ammonia removal rate was about 23g ammonia-N/$m^3$/day in both the absence and presence of the salt. An accumulation of nitrite was observed in the saline nitrification reactor at an early period. However, the nitrite decreased to less than 1 mg/l after 39 days of operation. The salinity increased the acclimation time of the nitrifier consortium to obtain a stable marine nitrification system. However, the salt acclimated system showed the efficient removal of ammonia which was same as that without salt.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1933-1941
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate quality characteristics of cured pork loin with natural nitrite source from Swiss chard. Methods: Pork loin was cured in brine and the ratio of water and fermented Swiss chard (FSC) solution in the brine was changed by 4:0 (control), 3:1 (T1), 1:1 (T2), 1:3 (T3), 0:4 (T4), and pickled samples with 0.012% sodium nitrite (PC, positive control) and nitrite free brine (NC, negative control) were considered as the control. Results: The pH values of cured pork loins with FSC were decreased with increasing addition level of FSC. Cooking loss was not significantly different among all treatments. T4 had the lowest value in moisture content and lightness value and the highest value in curing efficiency. The redness value of T4 was not significantly different from that of PC in raw. After cooking, however, it was higher than that of PC. The yellowness value of cured pork loin added with FSC was increased with increasing level of FSC. Volatile basic nitrogen content of cured pork loin added with FSC was higher than PC and NC. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance value of cured pork loin added with FSC was decreased with increasing FSC level. Residual nitrite level and shear force were increased with increasing FSC level. In the sensory evaluation, sensory score for flavor, off-flavor, chewiness, juiciness, and overall acceptability were not significantly different among all treatments. However, sensory score for color was increased when the concentration of FSC added to pork loin was increased. Conclusion: The FSC solution had a positive effect on redness and lipid oxidation. As shown by the results in protein deterioration and sensory, Swiss chard can replace sodium nitrite as natural curing agent.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.362-367
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• 2003

Coriolus versicolor was grown in a defined synthetic liquid medium and citrus extracts, and the culture extracts were examined for antioxidant activity, nitrite scavenging activity, and in vitro anticancer activity against HeLa, PC-3, HepG2, and A-549 cells. Whereas the culture extracts obtained from the synthetic medium and the un-inoculated citrus extract showed 60 and 22％ of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenger activity, the culture extracts obtained from the citrus extracts medium exhibited antioxidant activity up to 89％. The nitrite scavenging activity of the culture extracts obtained from the citrus extracts medium and the synthetic liquid medium, and the un-inoculated citrus extract at pH 1.2 were up to 67, 55, and 34％, respectively. The culture extract obtained from the synthetic liquid medium inhibited the growth of HeLa, PC-3, HepG2, and A-549 up to 66, 23, 18, 10％ at 48 h of incubation, respectively; however, the culture extract obtained from the citrus extracts medium inhibited the growth of HeLa, PC-3, HepG2, and A-549 up to 75, 82, 55, and 82％, respectively. As a negative control, the un-inoculated citrus extract was examined in the same way and inhibited the growth of HeLa, PC-3, and HepG2 cells 20, 6, and 15％ at 48 h incubation, respectively; the inhibition of A-549 cell growth was negligible. These results clearly showed that the fermentation of C. versicolor in the citrus extracts rather than in the defined synthetic medium significantly enhanced the anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, and nitrite scavenging activity.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.288-296
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• 2017

We investigated the effects of fermented red beet extract and ascorbic acid on color development in meat emulsions. The pH of meat emulsions containing red beet extract decreased with an increase in the amount of extract added. The redness of the treated meat emulsions was higher than that of the control with no added nitrite or fermented red beet extract (p< 0.05), though the redness of the meat emulsions treated with fermented red beet extract only was lower than in that treated with both fermented red beet extract and ascorbic acid (p<0.05). The highest VBN, TBARS, and total viable count values were observed in the control, and these values in the meat emulsions treated with fermented red beet extract were higher than in that treated with both fermented red beet extract and ascorbic acid (p<0.05). E. coli and coliform bacteria were not found in any of the meat emulsions tested. Treatment T2, containing nitrite and ascorbic acid, had the highest overall acceptability score (p<0.05); however, there was no significant difference between the T2 treatment and the T6 treatment, which contained 10% pre-converted nitrite from red beet extract and 0.05% ascorbic acid (p>0.05). The residual nitrite content of the meat emulsions treated with ascorbic acid was lower than in those treated without ascorbic acid (p<0.05). Thus, the combination of fermented red beet extract and ascorbic acid could be a viable alternative to synthetic nitrite for the stability of color development in meat emulsions.