Effect of adding smoke-flavouring to frankfurters on nitrite and nitrate levels

Different concentrations of sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate or both together were used to prepare four standard solutions and four frankfurter formulations. These were elaborated with and without the addition of 2 g/kg of a commercial solid smoke-flavouring preparation. Monitoring of nitrite and nitrate residual levels in standard solutions stored at 3 °C showed that smoke-flavouring addition results in a depletion of nitrite levels and/or reduction of nitrate to nitrite. In a much more complex system such as meat products, nitrite and nitrate, incorporated in the formulation separately or combined, were also rapidly depleted when smoke-flavouring was added.