Investigating the Possibility of Producing Nitrite-Free German Sausages Containing Different Concentrations of Cochineal Pigment Alone or in Combination with Cumin Essential Oil

Background: Many of the most common cancers, such as prostate and breast cancer are due to the presence of harmful agents and compounds in processed foods, including nitrite. In this research the physicochemical, antioxidant, and color properties of sodium nitrite-free sausages containing different concentrations of cochineal pigment alone or in combination with cumin essential oil were studied and compared with the control sample containing sodium nitrite. Methods: The extract of cochineal pigment in concentrations 200 ppm, 400 ppm, and 600 ppm alone or with 0.004 % w/w of essential oil of cumin were added to 40% red meat German sausage and physico-chemical, antioxidant, and color changes of the samples during 1, 10, 20, and 30 days after production (in refrigerator conditions) were compared with the control (without cochineal pigment, essential oil of cumin, and 120 ppm sodium nitrite) sample. Results: The findings of the study showed that this substitution did not have a significant (P > 0.05) effect on physico-chemical properties, and by increasing the concentration of cochineal pigment in the samples, the antioxidant properties of the samples significantly increased. The samples containing 400 or 600 ppm of cochineal pigment with 0.004 %w/w of cumin in the formulation were not significantly different from control sample in terms of antioxidant properties and were selected as superior treatment. Conclusion: It is possible to produce a healthy German sausage without nitrite by using cochineal pigment and cumin essential oil.