Elaboração de apresuntado utilizando rabanete japonês (Raphanus sativus L.) como agente natural de cura

Abstract

The curing process consists of the use of nitrite and nitrate salts. However, there has been an increase in demand for natural ingredients to replace these synthetic salts, driven by consumer quest and preference for "natural" and "organic" products. Thus, the objective was to obtain and characterize radish derivatives as natural curing agents, evaluating the effects of the substitution of synthetic nitrite on a cooked cured product, and later on the sensory properties and technological parameters of the restructured ham. Three derivatives obtained from radish were characterized to the centesimal composition, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, nitrate, instrumental color, phenols, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity, and in the cured product, the instrumental color and residual nitrite content. The restructured hams produced with radish derivatives (RP: 0.5% powder radish, EA: 3% aqueous extract, and EP: 0.5% powder extract of the residue) were compared to products made with 40 and 150 mg / kg sodium nitrite (AN40 and AN150) for weight loss by cooking, pH, residual nitrite, instrumental color, cured color index) and sensory (Check-All-That-Apply, acceptance and control difference test). The radish derivatives showed an intense yellow hue (h = 72-105° and C* = 19-32), with a high concentration of nitrate and considerable amounts of ascorbic acid and phenols with antioxidant power used as a natural curing agent. In the cooked cured product, despite the incubation time and type of derivative influencing the cured color and the residual nitrite content, the characteristics of the products were similar to the ones made using sodium nitrite. No difference (P > 0.05) was observed between the treatments for the centesimal composition, weight loss by cooking and pH. Larger levels of residual nitrite (P < 0.05) were observed in samples AN150, followed by radish derivatives and AN40. The ARP and AEP samples had higher values of h than AN150, with the color of ARP being more intense (higher C* value) than the others. The stability of the cured color was not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatments. The consumers were able to detect sensorial differences in the restructured ham elaborated with the derivatives of the radish, described by the attributes of flavor and aroma non characteristic and appearance with yellow spots, in relation to those elaborated with synthetic curing salts, characterized by the rosy appearance, shiny surface and restructured ham flavor and aroma. However, the acceptance regarding appearance was similar between the treatments, except for the ARP samples in which the scores were inferior to AN150. In general, the consumers perceived a flavor and aroma non characteristic in the samples made with the derivatives, but the added samples of aqueous extract had similar acceptance to the AN40 samples for all the sensorial attributes. It is concluded that the use of radish derivatives, especially the aqueous extract, proved to be a promising strategy as substitutes for the synthetic additive, in the elaboration of cured products (restructured ham).