Determination Of Nitrite Content In Cured And Uncured Meat Samples In Umuahia North Area Of Abia State:- Igbojionu Nnanyerem

ABSTRACT

Tie study was designed to investigate the amount of nitrite formed in cured and rncured meat.Samples were purchased at Umuahia Main Market (isigate) in Umuahia North L.G.A, Abia State Nigeria. The samples are Chevon, Beef and Pork Meat. They were divided into two equal groups, group one was cured and the other uncured. They were chopped and dried in oven at temperature of 80°C for 24hrs and milled with Thomas Willey milling machine for my analysis.The analysis carried out using Montgomery and Dymock method, showed these valuesO.255, 0.265, 0.280, for uncured meatand 1.27, 1.34, 1.50 for cured meat with spices like thyme, maggi and curry. From the result obtained, pork meat had the highest nitrite content followed by beefand chevonin both cured and uncured forms.Also the values of cured meat are very high in nitrite and that of uncured is moderate, when compared with the value for tire world health organization permitted (0.1-0.8mg/kg) nitrite intake. Seasoning of meat should be discouraged or reduced during processing to avoid the risk of formation of nitrosamine which may leads to cancer.