Malondialdehyde‐Nitrite Interactions in Meat and Model Systems

Nitrite retarded formation of carbonyl compounds in meat when added before cooking, but had no effect after cooking and storage even though the 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number was very low due to reaction of malondialdehyde with nitrous acid. Although tripolyphosphate/ascorbate reacted similary preventing formation of carbonyl compounds, they had no effect on the TBA number when added after cooking. In a model system, nitrite reacted with malondialdehyde at pH 1.3 at room temperature. The percentage of reacting malondialdehyde decreased with higher pH and increased with nitrite concentration. The reaction of malondialdehyde with nitrite yielded high‐molecular‐weight products. Sulfanilamide prevented the reaction of malondialdehyde with nitrite, but only when added before nitrite.