Lallemand’s yeast and cultures swap out nitrates and nitrites in cured meat

15 Dec 2023 --- Lallemand’s Bio-Ingredients and Specialty Cultures divisions have teamed up to develop a new solution to reduce or remove the need for added nitrates and nitrites in processed meats, such as bacon, dry-cured sausages and mortadella.

The launch comes as French and Danish food authorities are increasingly concerned about the use of these additives in processed meats for their link to cancer.

Food Ingredients First spoke with Julia Plateau-Gonthier, dairy, meat and plant-based category manager at Lallemand, about the latest innovation on the show floor of Food Ingredients Europe (FiE), which took place in Frankfurt, Germany, November 28 to 30. 

“Natural Rosé is a synergistic combination of food cultures and yeast extracts that we combine and apply to meat. The purpose is to stabilize color in a formulation where nitrites and nitrates are reduced or removed completely.”

Julia Plateau-Gonthier, dairy, meat and plant-based category manager at LallemandShe flags that the innovation is timely, as regulations are ongoing at the European and national levels, challenging the industry to develop real alternatives beyond natural sources of nitrates and nitrites. 

“This is a new tool for the industry. Our concept is highly relevant because it does not contain any of the compounds that are associated with negative health effects.”

Doubling down on alternatives
Natural Rosé combines the ingredients Savor-Lyfe NR 02 and LalCult Carne Rosé – Dry to compensate for losses to processed meat’s sensory qualities and food safety that can occur without nitrates and nitrites. 

Savor Lyfe NR 02 combines yeast-based specialties derived from S. cerevisiae and C. jadinii strains. The flavor of this ingredient further builds on the umami taste and flavor development of dried sausages. 

Meanwhile, LalCult Carne Rosé – Dry is a blend of cultures that plays a critical role in regulating the various oxidation and bacterial contaminations that can occur during the production process of dry fermented sausages. Reducing oxidation helps to maintain the product’s natural color without the need for added colors. 

Lallemand underscores that the solution can provide a shelf life on par with nitrite-based products without synthetic preservatives. It was also developed with food safety in mind and has been tested against the formation of listeria and salmonella. 

“Depending on the food process and the end product, we can tailor protective cultures to optimize food safety in the final product.”

She highlights that it is also easy to implement in existing processes. “The ingredients are just mixed in with the meat, and the standard protocol for dry fermenting can be followed. For a cooked product, there may be a need for a spraying step to bring the culture into the meat. This is under development right now as we fine-tune the application process. 

A debate that is heating up

Today, nitrates and nitrites are standard in cured meats for their ability to extend shelf life, maintain a stable pink or red color, prevent fat oxidation and inhibit Clostridium botulinum.

Lallemand’s alternative has seen the most promising results for replacing added nitrates and nitrates in dry-cured sausages.Lallemand notes that ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety) recommends reducing dietary consumption of nitrates and nitrites. In 2022, the organization approved a bill that aimed to gradually reduce the use of additives in cured meats, where they are highly prevalent. 

“There is a lot of discussion at the European level. Scientific studies have been published about their health concerns, so the EU will evaluate to what extent they can reduce or remove nitrates and nitrates depending on the meat category,” says Plateau-Gonthier. 

In the US, several meat brands have sought alternatives to synthetic nitrates and nitrites. Celery powder is one of the most common alternatives to nitrates/nitrites on the label. However, critics reveal that these natural sources pose just as much danger to health since celery powder is rich in nitrates and nitrites.

US-based Prosur, a company that specializes in natural meat safety solutions, offers an alternative to added nitrites and nitrates based on Mediterranean extracts and antioxidants to extend shelf life and prevent oxidation. 

Japanese knotweed has also been highlighted as an ingredient that can help reduce the need for nitrites in cured meats. Specifically, resveratrol from the plant has been tested in cooked and dry-cured meats with positive results. 

Culture of solutions 
In addition to Natural Rosé, Lallemand presented Flav-Antage BLB1, a natural innovation for cheese rinds that offers intense color and flavor formation.  

Flav-Antage BLB1 is a carefully selected strain of Brevibacterium aurantiacum from Lallemand’s extensive cell bank. The solution was developed for washed-rind and smeared-rind cheese producers, meeting a variety of market demands for clean label and natural solutions. 

The company also presented Flav-Antage LN2, a new culture for optimizing blue cheese production. The ingredient is an aromatic Leuconostoc mesenteroides culture designed to efficiently and robustly open the curd, allowing for optimal blue mold development.

By Missy Green