Nitrite Concentration Analysis Using Spectrophotometry on Locally Processed Meat Products in a Province in the Philippines
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IOER INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH JOURNAL, VOL. 3, NO. 1, MARCH 2021 NITRITE CONCENTRATION ANALYSIS USING SPECTROPHOTOMETRY ON LOCALLY PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS IN A PROVINCE IN THE PHILIPPINES ENGR. EVELYN JOY D. NERI 1, MARK E. PATALINGHUG2 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5663-48761,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5194-32072 [email protected], [email protected] J.H. Cerilles State College-Dumingag Campus Caridad, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines ABSTRACT To examine the nitrite content of meat products is essential to protect consumers from potential health risks. This study evaluated the nitrite concentrations of chorizo and longaniza products as preservatives in cured chorizo and longaniza in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. The descriptive and comparative quantitative research methods were used to examine the nitrite concentration. A kilogram of each of the samples of chorizo and longaniza products were randomly taken from the public market of Dumingag, Molave, and Pagadian City. These samples were analyzed to determine the nitrite concentration spectrophotometrically. The tests showed that chorizo samples from A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H have nitrite concentrations below the allowable or standard level. In contrast, the sample I result showed a high concentration of nitrite, very far above the Meat Inspection Regulations Standard (MRI) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) level within a nitrite concentration of 13.4 mg Nitrite (NO2) per 100.0 grams of cured meat. On the other hand, longaniza samples J, K, and L have nitrite concentrations below the standard level, while samples M and N have nitrite concentrations above the standard. These results indicate that chorizo and longaniza products sold in the said market have not met the FDA’s standards and are unsafe for human consumption. Keywords: Health Science, Food Safety, Spectrophotometry, Nitrite concentrations, Food Preservatives, Philippines INTRODUCTION The government encourages low and techniques can be done to prevent microbial average-income Filipinos to engage in spoilage of meat and meat products, such as entrepreneurship, such as food processing, to using preservatives, different processing improve their income and living. However, technologies, and extending shelf life (Mills et al., usually, the products produced from the local 2014; Nychas et al., 2008; Ruiz-Capillas & food manufacturers did not undergo quality Jimenez-Colmenero, 2008). The microbial control. The meat vendors' alternative practice to degradation of meat and meat products preserve their unsold meat is by curing and eventually leads to protection and consistency processing the leftovers into more attractive and concerns where the meat is not adequately delicious products, such as chorizo and treated and preserved. The degradation of meat longaniza, preventing microbial degradation. and meat products by bacteria, autolytic The abundance of nutrients in meat and enzymes, and lipid oxidation will result in meat products allows yeast, molds, and bacteria significant economic and environmental to strive. Consequently, the product spoils consequences (Jayasena & Jo, 2013). quickly in the natural environment. Numerous P – ISSN 2651 - 7701 | E – ISSN 2651 – 771X | www.ioer-imrj.com NERI, E.J.D., PATALINGHUG, M.E., Nitrate Concentration Analysis Using Spectrophotometry on Locally Processed Meat Products in a Province in the Philippines, pp. 42 - 49 42 I OER INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH JOURNAL, VOL. 3, NO. 1, MARCH 2021 For this reason, the use of preservatives At high levels, nitrates and nitrites were in meat increased food safety, storage life, and associated with increased cancer incidence in food technology. Its vital role is to prevent adults, combined with N-nitroso derivatives from harmful microorganisms from developing in food secondary or tertiary amines, and potential products (Lou et al., 2017). increased incidence of brain tumors, leukemia, Curing meat, including salt and and nasopharyngeal problems (Gassara et al., occasionally nitrate to fresh meat cuts, allows 2016). Nitrite residual for cured (including salted) preservative effects by eliminating water and and dried non-heat treated processed meat and reducing moisture in the product (Alahakoon et poultry products in whole pieces or cuts was at al., 2015; Ichimura et al., 2017; NSW Food 134 mg/kg tolerable rate (Alimentarius Codex, Authority, 2009). Food curing practice had been n.d.). Food safety is essential to protecting long used for thousands of years, even before people's health. Safer food leads to less disease food preservation safety standards and and thereby improving livelihood (Vogt et al., refrigeration. These days, food safety and 2012). manufacturing processes rely on safe and Clear evidence suggests that meat efficient curing and preservation methods to products cured using nitrite compounds or include meat products (Parthasarathy & Bryan, technologies may not be safe for a human to 2012). consume if it does not conform to the Food and Meat curing is a well-known technology Drug Administration (FDA). that uses advanced techniques in the current With the evidence presented above, the meat processing industry using nitrite. (Gassara researchers were concerned regarding et al., 2016; Sindelar & Milkowski, 2011). Nitrite consumers' exposure to contaminants derived is primarily used to preserve its microbial from meat preservation and curing with nitrite consistency, taste, and color in various meat compound that may pose health risks. products and avoid lipid oxidation (Alahakoon et This concern has led researchers to seek al., 2015), and it remains the most effective ways to reduce the risk of ingesting nitrosamine curing agent to prevent food spoilage and from processed meat and alleviate potential bacterial contamination (Parthasarathy & Bryan, human health concerns by determining the 2012). presence and level of nitrite in products such as The curative process imparts many other chorizo and longaniza in selected areas in distinguishing characteristics and protective Zamboanga del Sur. measures against Clostridium botulinum, typical of all cured meat products due to sodium nitrite OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY present in the curing mixture. These characteristics add distinctive color, flavor, This study was conducted to determine texture and protect the meat for lipids oxidation nitrites presence as a preservative in the locally (Sindelar & Milkowski, 2011). manufactured cured meat such as chorizo and Nevertheless, nitrogen oxide and longaniza in selected areas in the province of secondary amines are released by-products Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. Specifically, it during the curing process and fermentation, sought to evaluate the following: 1) Determine formed into N-nitrosamines compounds as a trace level compounds of nitrite concentration in reaction to organic amines. N-nitrosamines are chorizo products from the public market of classified as carcinogens by International Dumingag, Molave, and Pagadian City; 2) Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Determine trace level compounds of nitrite United States Environmental Protection Agency concentration in longaniza from the public market US EPA (Park et al., 2015). N-nitrosamines have of Molave and Pagadian City; and 3) Evaluate to pose increasing health risks (Akyüz & Ata, the significant difference of the nitrite level 2013; Aragón et al., 2013; Ramírez et al., 2012). present in the locally processed food as to the P – ISSN 2651 - 7701 | E – ISSN 2651 – 771X | www.ioer-imrj.com NERI, E.J.D., PATALINGHUG, M.E., Nitrate Concentration Analysis Using Spectrophotometry on Locally Processed Meat Products in a Province in the Philippines, pp. 42 - 49 43 I OER INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH JOURNAL, VOL. 3, NO. 1, MARCH 2021 Table 1 guidelines set by the Philippine Food and Drugs Average Nitrite Concentration of Chorizo from Dumingag Manufacturer Administration. Mass Chorizo Milligrams Location Sample in Samples Nitrite Variance V.I. Grams Per METHODOLOGY sample Standard Amount of 100 13.4 ± Safe The study made use of quantitative Nitrite 0.02 descriptive and comparative methods of (12.38) Dumingag 100 A 1.02 ± or Safe research. Descriptive in the sense that it sought 0.04 (92.39%) to determine the amount of nitrite present in (12.6) or Dumingag 100 B 0.80 ± (94.03%) Safe cured meats of chorizo and longaniza and 0.03 (12.64) comparative because it sought to compare every Dumingag 100 C 0.76 ± or Safe sample’s nitrite concentration taken from the 0.02 (94.33%) local markets to the Department of Health's standard nitrite concentration through the Food 14 13.4 and Drug Administration (DOH – FDA) and the 12 Meat Inspection Regulations (MIR). The samples 10 were taken randomly from the selected local 8 markets within Zamboanga del Sur. Random 6 sampling was conducted from the public markets 4 1.02 0.8 0.76 in Molave, Dumingag, and Pagadian City. Each 2 0 sample consisted of a kilogram of chorizo and a Mass in Milligrams STANDARD A B C kilogram of longaniza. The samples gathered NITRITE were brought to Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, and AMOUNT analyzed at the Chemistry Laboratory of Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Figure 1. Nitrites Concentration per 100 Grams of Chorizo Technology (MSU-IIT) for nitrites analyses. In from Dumingag Manufacturers determining the significant difference in the nitrite The results showed that sample A has a contents of the meat products gathered and the nitrite concentration