Modellversuche zum Einfluss von Nitritpökelsalz auf mikrobiologische und sensorische Parameter in Bockwurst

The new European legal requirements concerning food additives restrict the use of nitrate and nitrite to its function as a preservative. All the other effects (forming red-coloured nitroso-myoglobin, flavouring, antioxydant activity and solidifying) are tolerated only as inevitable side-effects. In case of the perishable frankfurter type sausages it is often assumed that curing only delivers colour and flavour. Two parallel experiments with non-cured and cured (90 mg Na-nitrite / kg sausage) lots of Bockwurst demonstrated a distinct preservating activity of nitrite. Under vacuum conditions at 4 °C the white Bockwurst samples developed a more sour and musty taste in a shorter time than the pickled items. Nitrite inhibits growth of gramnegative bacteria, delays propagation of some grampositive microorganisms and seems to be ineffective against yeasts. Additionally, nitrite produces a stable red colour, but the flavour is hard to distinguish from not pickled samples.