Stabilization of meat lipids with nitrite-free curing mixtures

Several nitrite-free meat-curing mixtures have been formulated. The mixtures included salt, sugar, ascorbates, an antioxidant and/or a chelator, an antimicrobial agent and dinitrosyl ferrochemochrome (DNFH). They imparted to meat a similar oxidative stability as that of sodium nitrite. Butylated hydroxyanisole and t-butylhydroquinone were the best anti-oxidants and polyphosphates, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid were the superior chelators. The antimicrobial agents used were potassium sorbate, propryl paraben, fumarate esters and sodium hypophosphite. In the above mixtures, the added effect of (DNFH) on oxidative stability of the cooked meats was similar to the added effect of 150 ppm sodium nitrite.