Effects of Fresh Celery as a Natural Curing Agent on Physicochemical Characteristics and Sensory Quality of Beef Jerky

Abstract

Beef jerky is a processed meat product. Nitrite or nitrate salts are usually used as curing agents for beef jerky processing. However, excessive nitrite intake can pose health risks and raise public concern, so natural alternatives such as celery can be used. This study evaluated fresh celery as a natural curing agent for beef jerky based on its physicochemical and sensory qualities. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, beef was treated with celery at three levels (2%, 4%, and 6%) and saltpeter as a control, combined with three incubation periods (1, 2, and 3 hours) to identify the optimal treatment for the subsequent stage based on color characteristics and nitrite residue. In the second stage, the selected curing treatments (saltpeter, 4% celery, and 6% celery) were applied to beef jerky and evaluated over different storage periods (0, 2, and 4 weeks). The parameters analyzed included color values, lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), nitrite content, and lipid oxidation, as well as sensory attributes. The results of the first stage showed that the use of saltpeter produced the highest nitrite content (0.54 mg/kg), while the highest b* value was obtained in the treatment of 4% and 6% celery. The incubation length had no significant effect on all parameters, but there was a significant interaction between the type of curing material and the length of incubation on the value of a*. In the second stage, neither curing material treatment nor storage time had a significant impact on organoleptic characteristics, and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values were relatively low (< 0.5 mg MDA/kg) up to 4 weeks of storage. A 6% celery treatment yielded the highest L* value, while the highest a* value was indicated by saltpeter, followed by 6% and 4% celery. Overall, the 6% celery treatment showed comparable performance to saltpeter, especially in retaining redness, suppressing lipid oxidation, and maintaining the sensory qualities of ground beef jerky. Keywords: Beef jerky, Celery leaf, Meat quality, Natural curing, Residual nitrite

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