Effect of reducing nitrate and nitrite added to dry fermented sausages on the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium

•The reduction of nitrate/nitrite concentration in dry fermented sausages was tested.•Absence of nitrate/nitrite increases Salmonella numbers in the final product.•A concentration of 75 ppm of both nitrate/nitrite is enough to control Salmonella.•Gram + catalase + cocci counts are higher in reduced nitrate/nitrite sausages.

Salmonella is one of the pathogens that most frequently contaminate pork processing lines. Several hurdles can control this organism in dry fermented sausages, among them is nitrite. However, the traditional use of nitrate/nitrite in the meat industry is being questioned due to their involvement in nitrosamine formation. In this study, minced pork and sausages inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium were prepared with 150 ppm NaNO3 and 150 ppm NaNO2 (maximum amounts allowed by EU), and with a reduction of 25% and 50%. The absence of nitrate/nitrite favored Salmonella growth, with 2-2.5 log cfu/g higher counts at the end of ripening, compared to nitrate/nitrite added batches. The 50% reduction showed the same inhibitory effect as the maximum amounts. Nitrate/nitrite represented an essential hurdle to control Salmonella even when pH and aw were below the values considered as minimum for its growth. The effect of this reduction on other pathogens should be considered.