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 MgCl2) 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). MgCl2-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 MgCl2 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.