Chinese Cabbage Powder and Clove Extract as Natural Alternatives to Synthetic Nitrite and Ascorbate in Clean-Label Pork Sausages

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of clove extract powder (CEP) as a natural curing accelerator in pork sausages produced with pre-converted Chinese cabbage powder (PCCP) as a nitrite source. Sausages were prepared using a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design with three levels of CEP (0, 500, and 1000 ppm), two sodium ascorbate levels (0 and 500 ppm), and two nitrite sources (synthetic sodium nitrite and PCCP). Increasing the level of CEP decreased pH, CIE L*, CIE a*, and residual nitrite, whereas CIE b*, cured meat pigment, total pigment, and curing efficiency were increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The inclusion of sodium ascorbate decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) residual nitrite levels while enhancing CIE b*, cured meat pigment, and curing efficiency. Compared with sodium nitrite, PCCP treatments retained higher residual nitrite (<i>p</i> < 0.05), although no significant differences (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05) were observed for instrumental color, cured meat pigment, total pigment, or curing efficiency. These results demonstrate that CEP, when combined with PCCP, effectively promotes the development of cured meat color and enhances pigment stability, suggesting that this combination can serve as a promising alternative to synthetic nitrite and ascorbate in clean-label pork sausages.