Effects of curing sources and high-pressure processing on quality attributes of smoked hams

To address consumer demand for “clean label” meat products, naturally derived nitrite sources are increasingly used as alternatives to synthetic nitrite. This study assessed the effects of curing source and high-pressure processing (HPP; 85,000 psi) on the quality of smoked, sliced ham. Hams were produced by following four formulations: synthetic nitrite (CONV), celery powder plus antimicrobial (ALT), celery powder with spices (ALTSPI), and no nitrite plus spices (UNCSPI), each with or without HPP. Instrumental color, texture, moisture, and sensory attributes were evaluated over 29 days of refrigerated vacuum display. CONV and ALT hams exhibited comparable color stability, texture, and overall sensory acceptability, indicating that natural nitrite effectively preserves cured meat characteristics. UNCSPI hams showed lower redness, altered hue, reduced springiness, and inferior sensory scores, confirming nitrite’s functional necessity. HPP minimally affected color, texture, or acceptability in nitrite-containing hams but increased off-flavor in uncured formulations, likely due to lipid oxidation. These results demonstrate that naturally sourced nitrite performs equivalently to synthetic nitrite in maintaining quality and support regulatory recognition of naturally cured products. Additionally, HPP does not compromise quality in nitrite-containing RTE hams.