- 期刊
- OpenAccess
Residual Nitrite in Some Egyptian Meat Products and the Reduction Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation
並列摘要
Nitrite, a curing agent of meat products, is a precursor of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines during processing of meat products or under human stomach conditions, as well as having its own toxicity. To investigate the residual nitrite level in meat products marketed in Egyptian markets, 160 samples of cured cooked (luncheon and frankfurter) and cured raw (oriental sausages and pastirma) meat products (40 sample each) were analyzed for residual nitrite by a spectrophotometric method. Samples were subjected to irradiation (3.0 and 5.0 kGy) by electron beam accelerator to evaluate its effect on the residual nitrite level in the examined cured meat products. For statistical analysis, means and standard errors of residual nitrite level were determined and analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. The results revealed that the residual nitrite level was ranging between 10.45-251.6 ppm in the examined meat products and that pastirma had the highest residual level (p＜0.05) while luncheon showed the least level. Residual nitrite level was significantly reduced (p＜0.05) by electron beam irradiation (5.0 kGy) and the reduction was dose dependent. This demonstrated that it would still be important to strengthen on control of residual nitrite level in Egyptian meat products and food safety education for public people.