TITLE:
An Alternative and Fast Method of Nitrite Determination in Meat Sausages Using the PhotoMetrix® Smartphone Applicative for Digitized Image Processing
AUTHORS:
Gleisson A. Almeida, Antônio J. Demuner, Daiane E. Blank, Cristiane I. Cerceau, Bianca L. Sousa, Iara F. Demuner, Marcela R. Coura, Maria J. M. Firmino, Marcelo H. Santos
KEYWORDS:
PhotoMetrix®, Nitrite, Food Analysis, Meat Sausages
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.5,
May
16,
2022
ABSTRACT: Due to the potential threats of nitrite to public health and safety, in this work, we proposed, for the first time, the application of PhotoMetrix? software for the detection of nitrite in meat products. Nitrite monitoring in food matrices has been carried out by expensive analytical methods. Aiming mainly speed and cost reduction, colorimetric analysis software has been developed using digital imaging. Among them, the PhotoMetrix?, a free software based on templates univariate and multivariate mathematicians, has been standing out for its functionality. Herein, we evaluate the efficiency of PhotoMetrix? in the monitoring of nitrite concentration in meat sausages. The method was compatible with spectrophotometric data and showed a high correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.9940) for the Red channel, high selectivity and sensitivity (limit of detection = 0.02 mg·L-1). Besides, the nitrite values determined for different brands of meat sausages are in agreement with the Brazilian legislation (IN 51/2006). Thus, our findings indicate that the PhotoMetrix? software is a viable alternative for monitoring the quality of meat sausages.