The Department of Food Sciences at the College of Agriculture at the University of Basra organized a seminar on the addition of some natural sources of nitrates and their effect on reducing nitrosamine levels and improving the quality of cured meat products. The seminar, delivered by graduate/PhD student Haider Katea Habib and supervised by Professor Dr. Umm Al-Bashar Hamid Jaber, aimed to add some plants with high nitrate and nitrite contents to cured pastrami to reduce the concentrations of nitrosamine compounds formed during preservation and improve the quality of the manufactured product over different storage periods.
The seminar included estimating the chemical content, nitrate and nitrite concentrations, antioxidant activity, and identifying active compounds and anthocyanin pigments using HPLC in some root, leaf, and cruciferous plants. Plant powders were added to cured pastrami, and storage was conducted at laboratory temperature, refrigerated, and frozen. Changes in quality characteristics, pigments, and nitrogen content were monitored, as well as HPLC estimation of nitrosamines, nitrates, and nitrites in the product. The study recommended the use of other plants with high nitrate and nitrite contents as a natural alternative to synthetic ones to increase the nutritional value and extend the shelf life of other cured meat products.