study on use of cochineal and paprika as natural colors for producing color of nitrite-free and low-nitrite frankfurter

nitrite is responsible for some characteristics of cured meat products such as color, flavor and suppressing the outgrowth and production of toxin from clostridium botulinum. despite all of its desired properties, nitrite is responsible for the formation of carcinogenic n-nitrosamine. in this study, nitrite-free and low-nitrite meat curing systems were developed to eliminate or reduce nitrite from meat products. thirteen different formulations were made including standard frankfurter ingredients with or without nitrite in combination with cochineal and paprika as natural coloring agents. for example, control sample was with 120 mg/kg nitrite, low-nitrite sample was contained 40 mg/kg nitrite and some samples were without nitrite. the samples were stored at 4 oc for eight weeks. during the storage, color changes (l*, a*, b*) were determined and evaluated. also, the produced samples were exposed to natural and artificial light and their color stability were compared. in addition, the colors of samples were evaluated by trained panelists. the results showed that the sample with 40 mg/kg nitrite and 0.002 % cochineal, the sample contained 40 mg/kg nitrite and 1 mg/kg paprika and the sample without nitrite and contained 0.015 % cochineal had no significant different color (p<0.05) from the control sample. overall, it is possible to produce nitrite-free or low-nitrite frankfurter sausage with acceptable color.