Use of alternative curing salts for processing salamis

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine effects of different curing salts on the quality of salamis and to assess feasibility of using NaCl-alternative salts. METHODS: Various types of curing salts (KCl or MgCl(2)) as well as NaCl (sun-dried or refined) were incorporated for processing of salamis. The proximate composition, fatty acids, nucleotide-related compounds, and free amino acids of the salamis were analyzed during 40 days of ripening. RESULTS: The substitution of NaCl by KCl caused higher fat and ash content, but lower moisture content of the salami after 20 days of ripening (p<0.05). Compared with the sun-dried NaCl, use of KCl in salami also led to greater inosine 5′-monophosphate whereas refined NaCl had more inosine (p<0.05). KCl-added salami also had a higher C12:0, C17:1, and C20:0 than other types of salami (p<0.05). MgCl(2)-added salami had higher content of free amino acids compared to the other salamis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Alternative curing salts such as KCl and MgCl(2) could substitute NaCl in consideration of quality factor of a fermented meat product. Especially replacement of NaCl with KCl will be a suitable strategy for developing relatively low sodium salami products without compromising product quality.