Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) Addition as Tool to Reduce Nitrate and Nitrite in Ripened Sausages.

Graziana Difonzo,Michela Pia Totaro,Antonella Pasqualone,Francesco Caponio,Carmine Summo

doi:10.3390/foods11030451

Graziana Difonzo, Michela Pia Totaro + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030451

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Abstract

Olive leaf extract (OLE) is known to be a source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. This study investigated the effects of the OLE addition to reduce nitrate/nitrite (NO) content on the physico-chemical features of ripened pork sausages. Seven formulations of pork sausages were set up: CTRL (0 mg/kg OLE; 300 mg/kg NO), Tr1 (200 mg/kg OLE; 150 mg/kg NO), Tr2 (400 mg/kg OLE; 150 mg/kg NO), Tr3 (800 mg/kg OLE; 150 mg/kg NO), Tr4 (200 mg/kg OLE; 0 mg/kg NO), Tr5 (400 mg/kg OLE; 0 mg/kg NO), and Tr6 (800 mg/kg OLE; 0 mg/kg NO). At the end of the ripening period, all the samples were within hygienic limits and the substitution of the additives with OLE allowed the reduction of NO residual contents. Both OLE and NO influenced the colour parameters. At the highest dose of OLE, both alone and in combination with reduced dose of NO, no significant differences in terms of moisture, pH, and aw were found compared to CTRL. In absence of NO, a significant reduction of weight loss was observed. Moreover, in the samples without NO a reduction of the hardness was detected. Finally, the oxidative stability test showed that the increase of the OLE amount prolonged the induction time.

Highlights

Meat and meat products are a rich source of noble proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, and various micronutrients [1] and are part of the enogastronomic culture of several countries
These findings are in line with those found in previous works [20,26] in which the authors assayed different properties of Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) in different food matrices and biological systems
As for the other Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) parameters evaluated, except for Tr6 gumminess and chewiness values, we observed a significant increase in the samples OLE800/NO150 and OLE800/NO0 compared with the control

Summary

Introduction

Meat and meat products are a rich source of noble proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, and various micronutrients [1] and are part of the enogastronomic culture of several countries. Several population studies associated the high meat intake, especially of red and processed meat, with the development of cardiovascular diseases and colorectal cancer in a dose-dependent manner [2]. These risks are mainly due to the high-fat content, richness in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, and to the carcinogen compounds generated from processing and as a consequence of the additives transformation [3]. The replacement of nitrate and nitrite by natural extracts in processed meat have been proposed as valuable alternative [10,11]

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