Plant-based additive for inhibiting nitrite formation during meat preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12568981-B1
Application number	US-202519063241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2025
Priority date	Feb 25, 2025
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A method of fabricating a plant-based additive for inhibiting nitrite formation during meat preparation includes reacting a pomegranate peel extract with a zinc precursor solution to obtain a reaction mixture, stirring the reaction mixture for 15 to 60 min at a temperature of 50 to 90° C. to obtain zinc oxide nanoparticles; and combining the zinc oxide nanoparticles with at least one extract selected from the group consisting of red cabbage extract and a beet root extract to obtain the plant-based additive. The extract comprises 500 to 1000 parts per million of nitrate relative to a total weight of the plant-based additive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of preventing and inhibiting bacterial growth on a food product, comprising:
reacting a pomegranate peel extract with a zinc precursor solution to obtain a reaction mixture; stirring the reaction mixture for 15 to 60 minutes at a temperature of 50 to 90° C. to obtain zinc oxide nanoparticles; combining the zinc oxide nanoparticles with at least one extract composition selected from the group consisting of red cabbage extract and a beet root extract to obtain the plant-based additive; and contacting the plant-based additive with meat to inhibit or prevent the growth of bacteria on the meat, wherein the extract comprises 500 to 1000 parts per million of nitrate relative to a total weight of the plant-based additive.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the zinc precursor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate heptahydrate, zinc chloride hexahydrate, zinc hydroxide dihydrate, and zinc acetate dihydrate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant-based additive is in the form of a pellet.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stirring comprises stirring for 60 minutes at a temperature of 70° C.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extract composition is a beetroot extract, and the plant-based additive comprises 894 parts per million of nitrates relative to the total weight of the plant-based additive.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extract composition is a red cabbage extract, and the plant-based additive comprises 678±1 parts per million of nitrates relative to the total weight of the plant-based additive.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture has a volume ratio of pomegranate peel extract to zinc precursor solution of 1:35 to 1:15 pomegranate peel extract to zinc precursor solution.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
separating peels from a pomegranate fruit and drying to obtain dried pomegranate peels; and grinding the dried pomegranate peels into a fine powder to obtain the pomegranate peel extract.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the fine powder has an average particle size of 20 μm or less.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the zinc precursor solution comprises zinc acetate dihydrate.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture has a volume ratio of pomegranate peel extract to zinc precursor solution of 1:19 pomegranate peel extract to zinc precursor solution.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
cooking the meat to obtain a prepared meat, wherein the plant-based additive comprises zinc oxide nanoparticles and 3 to 8 parts per million of nitrites relative to a total weight of the plant-based additive.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a total volatile nitrogen (TVN) value of 7 to 10.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a residual nitrite content of 30 to 70 parts per million relative to a total weight of the prepared meat.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a nitrosamine concentration of 20 to 35 ng/mL.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a TVN of 20.5 or less after 21 days.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a residual nitrite content of 20 to 60 parts per million relative to a total weight of the prepared meat after 21 days.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the prepared meat has a nitrosamine concentration of 27.5 to 30 ng/mL.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the extract composition is a beetroot extract comprising 4.5 to 5 parts per million of nitrites relative to the total weight of the plant-based additive.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the extract composition is a red cabbage extract comprising 6.5 to 7 parts per million of nitrites relative to the total weight of the plant-based additive.

Assignees

• Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic Univ

Inventors

• Allam Ahmed Aly Ahmed
• Rudayni Hassan Ahmed
• Alawam Abdullah Sultan
• Mahmoud Rehab Khaled
• Mohamed Amany Ahmed Abd-El Halim
• Hafez Nabil Sayed
• Khalil Khalil Ibrahim
• Awad Samah Ahmed Abd-El Twab

Classifications

• A23B2/788

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title

• A23B4/24

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title

• A23B4/20 Primary

  Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes · CPC title

• A23B2/733 Primary

  Compounds of undetermined constitution obtained from animals or plants · CPC title