Effects of nitrite level, packaging system and high-pressure processing treatment on physicochemical and sensory properties of cooked ham

Cooked ham traditionally contains nitrite for preservation, colour and flavour. However, associated health concerns have led to growing consumer demand for reduced additive use. To address this, incremental reduction and high-pressure processing (HPP) technology are being explored. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of varying nitrite levels (0, 40 and 80 mg NO2−/kg), packaging system and the application of HPP treatment (600 MPa for 3 min) on physicochemical and sensory attributes of cooked ham. The results of this study showed that HPP application and reduction of nitrite level to 40 mg/kg did not significantly impact the colour stability, odour, or texture of cooked ham during storage. Elevated nitrite level and HPP showed pro-oxidant effects on cooked ham. Furthermore, packaging exhibited more influence on the odour of cooked ham regardless of nitrite levels, as showed by both instrumental and sensory analyses. Completely removing nitrites had a substantial impact on the colour, although odour remained unaffected. This study concludes the feasibility of the reduction of nitrite and the application of HPP on cooked ham without altering colour, odour and texture properties.