INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF SODIUM NITRATE ADDITIVES ON COLOR CHANGES IN RAW AND COOKED MEAT PRODUCTS USING CIE LAB COLOR SPACE AND MYOGLOBIN LEVEL MEASUREMENT VIA UV SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

This study investigates the influence of sodium nitrate additives on color changes and myoglobin levels in raw and cooked meat products using CIE Lab color space and UV spectrophotometry. Sausage samples from beef, lamb, and chicken were prepared with varying sodium nitrate concentrations (0 mg/g, 40 mg/g, 80 mg/g, and 120 mg/g), resulting in twelve distinct formulations. Results indicated that beef sausages, which inherently possess a higher myoglobin content (8 mg/g), exhibited the most pronounced increase in redness values, rising from 3.05 (0 mg/g) to 7.21 (40 mg/g) in uncooked samples. Cooked sausages showed similar trends, with beef redness values increasing to 3.60 (40 mg/g). Conversely, lamb and chicken sausages demonstrated more complex and less pronounced responses. Nitrosylmyoglobin concentrations also showed notable increases with sodium nitrate addition, reaching 13.85 ppm in beef sausages at 40 mg/g. These findings highlight the significant impact of sodium nitrate on meat coloration and myoglobin stability, providing valuable insights for optimizing sausage formulations.