Reduction of N-nitrosamine in cured ham using atmospheric cold plasma-treated cauliflower powder

The effects of cauliflower treated with atmospheric cold plasma (ACP), as a natural nitrite source, on the curing of ground ham and nitrosamine formation were investigated. Ground ham was prepared using sodium nitrite and ACP-treated cauliflower powder (PTCP) to achieve initial nitrite concentrations of 60 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. ACP treatment generated nitrite in cauliflower but significantly reduced the antioxidant activity (P < 0.05). As a nitrite source, PTCP had similar effects as sodium nitrite in the development of cured color in ground ham, with a comparable residual nitrite content (P ≥ 0.05). Three nitrosamines, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), were detected in ground ham. NPYR formation was significantly lower in ground ham treated with PTCP at an initial nitrite concentration of 100 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Therefore, the use of a natural nitrite source manufactured through ACP treatment can prospectively achieve suitable curing efficiency while simultaneously suppressing nitrosamine formation.