Color fixatives, exemplified by potassium nitrite, serve a specific technical role in food, such as altering or intensifying the product's color. These deliberate inclusions in processed foods are extensively utilized for their targeted color-enhancing functions.
In the realm of processing meat and meat products, color fixatives like potassium nitrite play a crucial role. This ensures that the meat maintains its color throughout diverse stages of food processing and preservation without undergoing deterioration.
For instance, potassium nitrite, commonly utilized in cooked meats, sausages, and cured meats, appears as a yellowish-white crystalline solid. Regulations allow its safe utilization in sausage products, capped at 1/4 oz. (156 ppm) per 100 pounds of meat.
Another instance of a color fixative is sodium nitrite, applied in cooked and cured meats, bacon, and pork sausages. This water-soluble, hygroscopic solid has a chemical formula of NaNO2, with a molecular weight of 68.9953 g/mol.
Sodium nitrate, also classified as a color fixative, presents itself as a white to slightly yellowish crystalline powder, highly soluble in water and hygroscopic. Its typical applications involve use in cooked meats, bacon, ham, and cheese.
Color Fixatives in Food
