DEVELOPMENT AND STABILITY OF COLOUR IN DRY-CURED MEAT PRODUCTS PRODUCED WITH PLANT-BASED SOURCES OF NITRATES
Keywords:
clean label, starter culture, nitrates, nitrites, plant-based sources, colourAbstract
This study aims to investigate the effect of Swiss chard powder, as a natural source of nitrates, in combination with the starter culture BactoFerm Rosa, on the development and stability of colour in dry-cured pork neck produced under industrial conditions. Five experimental groups were analysed: NC - negative control (sodium chloride and dextrose); PC - positive control (nitrite curing salt and dextrose); NS - nitrite curing salt, dextrose and starter culture; SCF - sodium chloride, dextrose, Swiss chard powder (from the first producer) and starter culture; and SCS - sodium chloride, dextrose, Swiss chard powder (from the second producer) and starter culture. Colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, h°, C*) were monitored on fresh cut surfaces at three stages of the production process: day 0 (12 hours after salting), after smoking (before onset of ripening), and at the end of production. The results revealed statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) among the examined groups at all analysed stages. The most intense and stable red colour was observed in samples treated with nitrite curing salt in combination with the starter culture. In contrast, the negative control group exhibited the lightest and least saturated colour. The groups supplemented with Swiss chard powder and starter culture showed moderate but stable red colour development, significantly better than the negative control, but with lower intensity than the nitrite-treated groups. These findings indicate that natural plant-based sources of nitrates, in combination with nitrate-reducing starter cultures, can provide moderate and stable colour formation in dry-cured meat products and represent a promising partial alternative to conventional nitrite curing in the production of clean-label meat products.
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