Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the quality characteristics of reducednitrite boiled pork sausages (BPSs) with paprika oleoresin solution (POS) to compensate for the reduced sodium nitrite (NaNO2). METHODS: POS was prepared by diluting paprika oleoresin with sunflower seed oil at a ratio of 1:20. BPSs were subjected to four different treatments: reference (REF), BPS added with 150 ppm NaNO2; control (CTL), BPS added with 37.5 ppm NaNO2; treatment 1 (TRT1), BPS added with 37.5 ppm NaNO2 and 0.1% POS; treatment 2 (TRT2), BPS added with 75 ppm NaNO2 and 0.1% POS). RESULTS: The pH values of CTL were lower than those of other treatments. The a* values of TRT1 were higher than those of CTL, and those of REF were lower than those of TRT1 and TRT2. The b* values of TRT1 and TRT2 were higher than those of REF and CTL. The total plate counts of CTL were the highest among all treatments, and Enterobacteriaceae counts of CTL and TRT1 on the 14th day were higher than those of REF and TRT2. CONCLUSION: The combination of 75 ppm NaNO2 and 0.1% POS to BPS during storage had an antimicrobial effect similar to that of adding 150 ppm NaNO2. Thus, POS can be used to reduce the use of NaNO2 in meat products.