Pathway-oriented strategies for nitrosamine mitigation in food products: Plant-based inhibitors and emerging...

Nitrosamines are a food safety concern due to their established toxicological relevance and their occurrence in widely consumed processed foods. In cured products, nitrite has a paradoxical role, acting both as a nitrosamine precursor and as an essential additive for safety, color, flavor, and oxidative stability. As a result, strategies based solely on nitrite reduction are increasingly viewed as insufficient and potentially detrimental to food safety. This chapter examines innovative approaches for reducing nitrosamine formation in foods, shifting the focus from additive elimination toward pathway-oriented control of nitrosation reactions. The chemical basis of nitrosamine formation is first reviewed, emphasizing the matrix- and process-dependent nature of nitrosation. Current mitigation strategies and their limitations are then discussed, highlighting the need for integrated solutions. Particular attention is given to plant-based extracts as natural inhibitors of nitrosation, as well as to emerging processing technologies that can modulate the physicochemical environment in which nitrosamines form. The chapter distinguishes between technologies with indirect mitigation potential and those supported by direct experimental evidence, avoiding overgeneralization. Synergistic strategies combining formulation-level inhibitors with process-level interventions are evaluated from mechanistic, technological, sensory, and risk management perspectives. Overall, this chapter argues that sustainable nitrosamine mitigation cannot be achieved through indiscriminate nitrite reduction, but rather through rational design of integrated processing and formulation systems that decouple nitrosamine formation from nitrite's essential technological functions. By consolidating current evidence and identifying key research gaps, this work provides a structured framework to guide future innovation in safer food processing.