20 February 2025

Not adding up?

Nitrites in cured meat play a key role in developing sensory characteristics that are important to consumer perception and purchase intent. Research at Teagasc Ashtown is investigating whether nitrites can be reduced without compromising the sensory experience.

Credit: lensmen/istockphoto.com

Cured meats, such as cooked ham, bacon and sausages, have long been an integral part of the cuisine of various cultures around the world. They form a quintessential element of the traditional fry-up in Ireland and the UK, and are considered the flagship of traditional cuisine in countries such as Italy, Germany and Spain.

While global demand for cured meats remains strong, the market is undergoing significant changes as consumers become more aware of health concerns influencing their purchasing decisions.

Nitrite is an authorised food additive and one of the most widely used curing ingredients for meat within the EU, commonly added to product formulations during the development of cured meat products. Stergios Melios, a Walsh Scholar at Teagasc Ashtown’s department of Food Quality and Sensory Science, explains further.

“Nitrites help prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms and plays a critical role in the development of the pinkish colour and distinct savoury flavour which consumers associate with cured meats. However, there are increasing health concerns associated with long-term consumption of cured meats. Evidence suggests that added nitrites can produce potentially cancer-causing chemicals, such as N-nitrosamines, through interactions with naturally occurring secondary amines in meat.”

A complex challenge

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as carcinogenic, and in October 2023, a new European Commission regulation reduced the maximum allowable levels of added nitrites in cured meats, granting the meat industry a two-year period to adapt current practices.

“Nevertheless,” Stergios continues, “the sensory profile of cured meats – appearance, odour, taste, flavour and texture – remains one of the most important factors driving consumers’ purchasing decisions. Colour and flavour, in particular, play a significant role in consumers’ willingness to buy cured meat products.”

Since nitrites are added to develop these important sensory characteristics in cured meat, reformulating recipes without nitrites is a complex challenge for the meat industry. Consequently, meat manufacturers in Ireland and elsewhere are working to develop technological solutions to reduce or completely replace nitrites in cured meat, with a range of nitrite-free meat products recently emerging onto supermarket shelves across Europe.

Researchers at Teagasc Ashtown have conducted a series of studies to evaluate whether nitrite-free products can compete with their conventional counterparts in terms of sensory characteristics. They aim to understand how consumers in Ireland perceive nitrite-free products and whether their perceptions change when informed about the health benefits of these formulations.

Getting a sense of it

In an initial study, a highly trained sensory panel evaluated the sensory profiles of various conventional and nitrite-free cooked ham products and bacon rashers commercially available on the Irish market.

The results showed that for bacon rashers, the type of curing method – dry vs. brine curing – significantly influenced the flavour profile of the products, while the removal of nitrites had no substantial impact. Nitrite-free bacon had a similar sensory profile to their conventionally cured counterparts.

In terms of appearance, dry-cured bacon and smoked nitrite-free bacon exhibited darker reddish colours with less marbling and white fat around the edges. By contrast, brine-cured bacon and unsmoked nitrite-free bacon appeared lighter in colour and thinner, with more fat and marbling. Smoked nitrite-free bacon was noted for having a brownish smoky appearance.

For cooked ham, the nitrite-free product was similar to conventionally cooked ham products in both appearance and flavour but had a slightly more rubbery texture during the initial few moments of chewing.

“Curing methods significantly influenced the flavour profile of the products, while the removal of nitrites had no substantial impact.”

“Nonetheless, the overall similarity in sensory profiles indicates progress in achieving comparable sensory characteristics in nitrite-free cooked hams, which is promising given the market demand for clean labels,” Stergios points out.

Notably, the distinction between whole-muscle and sectioned-and-formed cooked hams emerged as a significant factor influencing sensory profiles. Added water, meat percentage and fat content were also crucial in shaping the sensory profile of cooked ham. 

Improving information

Building on these findings, a consumer sensory study was conducted with 120 participants to determine sensory and emotional responses to a selection of cooked ham products. The aim was to understand the extent to which consumer response is influenced by information regarding the potential health impacts associated with the consumption of cured meats containing nitrites.

“Results showed that irrespective of the information provided, the nitrite-free cooked ham was the most liked product. What’s more, health benefit information significantly increased consumers’ overall liking and purchase intent for the nitrite-free cooked ham,” Stergios notes.

“Interestingly, after receiving information, consumers rated the conventional cooked ham product as significantly saltier, while the nitrite-free ham was associated with more ‘happy’ and fewer ‘disgusted’ emotions.”

The similarity of nitrite-free meat products to their conventional counterparts and the high level of consumer liking demonstrates that the development of similar cured meat products is feasible without the addition of nitrites. Moreover, the results provide evidence that cured meat products of high sensory quality can benefit from the provision of health benefit information, increasing both overall liking and purchase intent.

“These results highlight the importance of informative packaging for nitrite-free products. This can create new opportunities for manufacturers of healthier cured meats to stand out in the market and motivate companies to invest in developing such nitrite-free solutions,” Stergios concludes.

“Finally, the findings support innovation for the development of cured meats that offer benefit in terms of health, driving opportunities for future consumer engagement within the processed meat industry.”  

Funding

This research was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Republic of Ireland, under the No-2-Nitrates (2021R426) project.

Contributors

Stergios Melios, Walsh Scholar, Food Quality and Sensory Science Department, Teagasc Ashtown.

Declan Bolton, Principal Research Officer, Food Safety Department, Teagasc Ashtown.

Emily Crofton, Senior Research Officer, Food Quality and Sensory Science Department, Teagasc Ashtown. emily.crofton@teagasc.ie