Obtaining nitrite from vegetables sources by fermentative process using nitrate-reducing bacteria Sthaphylococcus carnosus and S. xylosus

Abstract

Sodium nitrate is an essential food additive widely used in cured meats. The increased unfavorable perceptions about chemicals in foods and their repercussions on health have positioned the nitrite as undesirable compound in meat products. Natural and organic ingredients have taken an important place within the consumer preferences. Here, obtaining nitrite from natural source was achieved using nitrate-reducing bacteria Staphylococcus carnosus and S. xylosus. The strains pre-incubation into the celery-based medium allowed the stimulation of nitrate reductase activity. The increased values of substrate, the oxygen condition and pH influenced the nitrite generation significantly (p<0.05). The reduction rate from nitrate to nitrite was 50.85%, with a value 320.2 mg L-1 nitrite for 4h. This method presents characteristics comparable to those traditionally applied in the generation of conventional sodium nitrite and lead to the food industry to take advantage of fermentation processes to supply needs in meats and supplementary food products.