Effects of salt and ingoing nitrite concentration and source on the shelf life of deli-style ham

Deli-style hams were manufactured to measure the effects of salt and nitrite concentration on shelf life and physicochemical characteristics. Three replications of ham treatments were manufactured in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement of salt concentration (0.7%, 1.4%, or 2.1%, meat block basis) and ingoing nitrite concentration and source (0 ppm, 100 ppm, or 200 ppm sodium nitrite (SN), or 100 ppm sodium nitrite equivalent from celery juice powder, CP) and stored for up to 16 weeks. All cured treatments displayed greater redness (CIE a*: P < 0.01). In cured treatments, aerobic plate counts decreased as salt increased, however, there was no difference within 0 ppm SN treatments. Treatments without nitrite had the greatest aerobic plate counts (P < 0.05). Ingoing nitrite concentration affected bacterial community composition, where 0 ppm SN and 100 ppm CP were more similar than 100 ppm or 200 ppm SN. Bacterial communities were predominated by Pseudomonadaceae. Based on differentially abundant bacterial species, Pseudomonas was less abundant in the 100 ppm CP treatments compared to all others. Overall, this study suggests 200 ppm ingoing nitrite provides the greatest shelf life to deli-style ham, and 0.7% salt results in inferior product quality and shortest shelf life