Reformulation of dry sausages with natural plant extracts prevents oxidation even in the absence of nitrates

Dry sausages are part of French gastronomy and represent 8% of the total food consumed weekly in France. Appreciated for their sensorial appeal and nutritionally relevant with highly digestible proteins, to name just a few qualities, dry-cured sausages suffer from the presence of food additives like nitrite and nitrate. These additives may lead to harmful nitroso-compounds [1, 2]. Therefore, the replacement of such additives while preserving health and sensorial properties has been the subject of numerous studies, including formulation with polyphenolic compounds. Known for their antioxidant (through scavenging free radicals or chelating metals) and anti-nitrosating properties, polyphenols can be provided by plant byproducts like grapeseed or olive pomace from olive oil extraction [3]. Reformulation provides technological leverage to reduce or even exclude nitrite/nitrate inputs in processed meats. Nitrite/nitrate in dry-fermented pork sausages/salamis can be replaced through formulation with a grapeseed/olive pomace mixture, while controlling microbiological safety [4, 5], albeit with possible color or taste alteration. Preliminary studies have defined an acceptable concentration from a sensory point of view, set at 6 mM eq gallic acid. The aim of the present study was to investigate different sources of polyphenols, alone or in combination with nitrates, to highlight possible synergistic effects on oxidation and prevention of nitrosation.