Microbiological hazards associated to salt and nitrite reduction in cured meat products: control strategies based on antimicrobial effect of natural ingredients and protective microbiota

The consumers’ demand for low-salt and nitrite-free cured meat products forced the industry to introduce these products in the market assure their safety. Several strategies have been studied to obtain low-salt or nitrite-free meat products assessing mainly their sensory and technological characteristics. Only a few studies assessed their safety. To control microbial hazards, the current knowledge on food preservation should be applied in salt-reduced or nitrite-free meat products, searching for new technologies and employing them in a synergistic way to control pathogens. Protective starters may be an important inhibitory tool to control potential pathogens on low-salt or nitrite-free cured meat products. Vegetable extracts could successfully replace nitrite, if well controlled, to avoid the potential formation of nitrous compounds