VARIATION OF NITRITE CONTENT IN MEAT PRODUCTS DURING THE SHELF LIFE

Abstract

In the meat industry nitrite is used, together with the salting mixture, to maintain  pink - red color  of  meat,  for bacteriostatic  effects,  antioxidant  effect  and  for amplification  of  products  flavor. Current  standards  imposed  the  use  a    concentration  of  nitrite    that  would  be  within  the  limit  of   7 mg/100g product    without  negative  effects  on  the  human  body.    Two  meat products  were analyzed, smoked chest and gypsy steak, to monitor the development of nitrite concentration. During monitoring nitrate concentrations increased with 14% when compared to the first analysis of  smoked chest, and with  7.7%  in  the  case  of  gypsy  steak. During  the  ten  days  of  analysis  nitrite  concentration  did  not exceed the maximum allowable dose.