US 12568981 B1Patent grantUnited States

Plant-Based Nitrite-Control Meat Additive

Official patent title

Plant-based additive for inhibiting nitrite formation during meat preparation

Arabic title: مضاف نباتي لمنع تكوّن النتريت أثناء تحضير اللحوم

Invention

Problem

Meat preservation commonly uses synthetic nitrite, yet cooking and storage can leave residual nitrite and promote nitrosamine formation, motivating alternative preservative systems.

Why it matters

A plant-based system that controls spoilage indicators and nitrosamine formation could support cleaner-label meat products, provided that microbiological safety and regulatory limits are met.

Approach

The method forms zinc oxide nanoparticles using pomegranate-peel extract, combines them with nitrate-containing red-cabbage or beetroot extract, contacts the additive with meat, and then cooks the meat.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include meat processors, natural-preservative developers, food-safety laboratories, ingredient manufacturers, and researchers studying nitrate, nitrite, and nitrosamine control.

Potential value

The additive combines plant extracts with biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles and states meat-quality, residual-nitrite, and nitrosamine ranges, including measurements after 21 days.

Background

Nitrite contributes antimicrobial protection, cured color, and flavor in meat, but residual nitrite can react with amines to form nitrosamines, especially under heat. Plant extracts provide nitrate, pigments, and antioxidants that may replace or supplement direct synthetic nitrite. Pomegranate compounds can also reduce zinc salts to zinc oxide nanoparticles. A successful alternative must still control pathogens, oxidation, spoilage, color, flavor, and texture throughout storage. It also requires exposure assessment for nitrate, nitrite, zinc, nanoparticles, and any process-derived compounds.

Technology overview

The method reacts pomegranate-peel extract with a zinc precursor at 50–90 °C for 15–60 minutes, then combines the ZnO nanoparticles with red-cabbage or beetroot extract containing 500–1,000 ppm nitrate. Claims state prepared-meat TVN of 7–10, residual nitrite of 30–70 ppm, and nitrosamine concentration of 20–35 ng/mL. After 21 days, claimed limits include TVN at 20.5 or less and residual nitrite of 20–60 ppm; another claim states 27.5–30 ng/mL nitrosamine. Claim 1 focuses on inhibiting bacterial growth.

Potential applications

Natural meat-preservative development.
Beef-kofta storage studies.
Residual-nitrite reduction research.
Nitrosamine-control formulation.
Plant-mediated ZnO nanoparticle preparation.

Evidence-supported advantages

Uses pomegranate, cabbage, or beetroot sources.
Forms ZnO nanoparticles through a plant extract.
States 21-day meat-quality limits.
Addresses residual nitrite and nitrosamine together.
Can be prepared as a pellet additive.

Development stage

Laboratory food-sample measurements and control-comparison drawings are described; microbiological, regulatory, and commercial validation were not established. The development stage was not independently verified.

Commercial opportunity

The additive could be evaluated for natural cured-meat formulations. Commercialization requires pathogen-challenge and shelf-life studies against appropriate nitrite controls, sensory and color acceptance, dose optimization, zinc and nanoparticle exposure, nitrosamine method validation, batch variability of plant extracts, manufacturing hygiene, ingredient stability, regulatory review, labeling strategy, and costed pilot-scale meat trials.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

A23B4/20Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A23B2/733Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables

CPC

A23B4/20Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A23B2/733Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A23B2/788Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A23B4/24Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables

Inventors

First inventorAhmed Aly Ahmed Allam
InventorHassan Ahmed Rudayni
InventorAbdullah Sultan Alawam
InventorRehab Khaled Mahmoud
InventorAmany Ahmed Abd-El Halim Mohamed
InventorNabil Sayed Hafez
InventorKhalil Ibrahim Khalil
InventorSamah Ahmed Abd-El Twab Awad

Keywords

plant-based additive
pomegranate peel
zinc oxide nanoparticles
red cabbage
beetroot
residual nitrite
nitrosamine
meat preservation

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.