A Review: How to eliminate nitrite and reduce its consumption in the production of meat products

Today, with the advancement of technology and the provision of different formulas for the production of healthy food, consumers are paying more attention to the safety and health of food. Sodium nitrite is one of the compounds discussed in the food industry and has been discussed for many years in terms of health effects, especially the production of carcinogenic nitrosamine compounds and the development of methemoglobinemia. It is worth mentioning that this combination is used to improve the color of meat products and reduce the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in meat products. Therefore, one of the new approaches in the food industry is the use of nontoxic compounds as healthy additives to prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms and maintain the quality of food. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating current knowledge on how to eliminate and reduce nitrite consumption in the food industry. By examining domestic and foreign published sources on foreign sites and local databases, related studies were searched using relevant keywords. In the initial search, 63 articles were retrieved, and after removing duplicates, 57 articles were of sufficient quality to be included in this meta-analysis. In order to investigate the research achievements regarding the use of natural compounds without health risks as a substitute for nitrite in the food industry and summarizing the current knowledge with safer and better substances such as natural essential oils and safe antioxidants, it was investigated.