Abstract
The effects of lactic acid bacteria used as a substitute for nitrite for meat processing were studied. We added lactic acid bacteria starter culture to brine to cure pork loin without nitrite. The cured pork loin was then smoked, sliced, vacuum-packaged, and stored at 2°C for two weeks and at 7°C for additional weeks. A preservative effect of the added lactic bacteria was observed. A homo-fermentative lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus sakei M32 was a good starter culture to control the microflora of products without nitrite. Bright red color development and propagation between some samples were observed during the cold storage in vacuum packages. This color development is not yet practical for industrial application as a substitute for nitrite. The samples, which had turned clear red in cold storage after two weeks, were further analyzed. In these samples, free arginine markedly decreased, while other free amino acids slightly increased. Although the residual nitrite in the samples was less than one ppm, the degree of color formation of the samples was similar to that of the positive nitrite-added control samples. The results suggested formation of bright red myoglobin derivatives, such as nitrosylmyoglobin from arginine, in the samples.
