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Updated: May 27, 2026

Preparation of High-Quality Fermented Fish Product
Published on: August 23, 2019
Effect of nitrate, nitrite and ascorbate on colour and colour stability of dry, fermented sausage prepared using
1Onderzoekscentrum voor Voeding, Veeteelt en Vleestechnologie, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
Abstract:
The effect of various levels of nitrite and nitrate, with and without ascorbate, in sausages prepared using 'back slopping' as inocluation, was investigated in three series of experiments. In all experiments, nitrite was rapidly depleted and nitrate formed. Nitrate was not used, probably because of the lack of (active?) micrococci in the starter sausage. Surface colour was found to be darker with increasing levels of nitrite. Irrespective of nitrate, colour stability was mainly promoted by residual ascorbate. The latter decreased with increasing nitrite levels.
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