Christina Elslund Adamsen
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Project
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Organic meat processing – an alternative to nitrite curing of meat
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Supervisors
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Professor, Leif H. Skibsted, Food Science, KU/LIFE
Assistant professor Jens K.S. Møller, Food Science, KU/LIFE
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University
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Copenhagen University, Faculty of Life Sciences
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Work place
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Copenhagen University, Faculty of Life Sciences,
Department of Dairy and Food Science, Food Chemistry, Rolighedsvej
30, DK 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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E-mail / phone
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cep@life.ku.dk / (+45) 3533 3290
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Aim
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The main objective of the project is to find an alternative to
nitrite curing of meat and the inspiration will be taken from the
colour of Parma ham.
Partial aim of this project:
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Pigments formed in Parma ham (structure to be established)
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Pigment formed in model systems based only on organic meat
products
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Measure the stability of the pigment based only on organic meat
products and compare this with other organic meat colours
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Background
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Nitrite-cured meat products obtain their colour and their resistance
against rancidity as the result of the reaction between nitrite and
reducing components in the muscle or added ascorbate. Nitrite oxide
is formed and bound to myoglobin to give the well known red colour of
cured meat or nitrite oxide is bound to the meat proteins and
constitutes a reservoir of relatively stable radicals which seem to
act as antioxidants. However, it is of importance to develop
alternatives to nitrite-curing because nitrite is recognize as a
potential cancer hazard. Another factor is the interest of food with
out additive such as nitrite, particular for organic meat processing.
The inspiration and the idea to this project are taken form at just
ended research project about the colour in traditionally dry-cured
Parma ham. The Parma ham get its red colour with only salt as
additive and are therefore of interest in the search of an
alternative to nitrite. From the research project methods for
extractions of the Parma pigment from the ham has been developed. And
the colour stability and the antioxidative capacity of the pigment
have been studied. My ph.d. project will start where this research
have ended
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Status
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Status reports
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Time table
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Start: 01.06.2003
End: 15.05.2007
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Sofie Kobayashi, - last update:28 July 2010