Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing

Nesreen Z. Eleiwa; Eman K. Fathalla; Radwa A. Lela; Elsaid Saafan; Momtaz Shahin; Khalid Tolba

doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

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Original Article

AJVS. 2025; 87(0): 167-175

doi: 10.5455/ajvs.267683

Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing

Nesreen Z. Eleiwa, Eman K. Fathalla, Radwa A. Lela, Elsaid Saafan, Momtaz Shahin, Khalid Tolba.

Abstract
Sodium nitrate is widely used in meat and meat products for its antimicrobial properties, flavor development, color enhancement, and oxidative stability. However, concerns over its potential health risk, particularly the formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines, have prompted a shift toward reducing synthetic additives. These concerns have sparked interest in natural alternatives, particularly nitrate rich plant extracts such as beet roots and leaves of chard, which provide functional benefits and meet clean label requirements. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the possibility of natural nitrate rich extracts (such as beetroot and leaves of chard) to partially or fully replace synthetic sodium nitrate in processing of minced meat. The results of the control and sodium nitrate (100 ppm) treated groups showed overall acceptability till the 6th and 9th day of storage became spoiled, respectively, with a progressive increase in aerobic plate count (APC), reaching 6.76 ± 0.01ᵃ and 6.04 ± 0.01ᵃ. In contrast, the group treated with sodium nitrate (50 ppm) combined with beetroot extract (50 ppm), and the group treated with beetroot and chard extracts (50 ppm each), maintained overall acceptability up to the 9th and 12th day. These groups demonstrated improved microbial stability, effectively delaying spoilage and maintaining APC levels at 6.26 ± 0.01ᵃ and 5.91 ± 0.02ᵇ, respectively. The lower microbial load in the beetroot + leaves of chard group suggests a synergistic antimicrobial effect of the natural extracts, contributing to enhanced shelf life compared to both the control and synthetic nitrate treatments.

Key words: minced meat, Nitrate, Beetroot extract, Chard leaves extract

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How to Cite this Article

Pubmed Style

Eleiwa NZ, Fathalla EK, Lela RA, Saafan E, Shahin M, Tolba K. Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. AJVS. 2025; 87(0): 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

Web Style

Eleiwa NZ, Fathalla EK, Lela RA, Saafan E, Shahin M, Tolba K. Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. https://www.alexjvs.com/?mno=267683 [Access: October 30, 2025]. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Eleiwa NZ, Fathalla EK, Lela RA, Saafan E, Shahin M, Tolba K. Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. AJVS. 2025; 87(0): 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Eleiwa NZ, Fathalla EK, Lela RA, Saafan E, Shahin M, Tolba K. Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. AJVS. (2025), [cited October 30, 2025]; 87(0): 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

Harvard Style

Eleiwa, N. Z., Fathalla, . E. K., Lela, . R. A., Saafan, . E., Shahin, . M. & Tolba, . K. (2025) Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. AJVS, 87 (0), 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

Turabian Style

Eleiwa, Nesreen Z., Eman K. Fathalla, Radwa A. Lela, Elsaid Saafan, Momtaz Shahin, and Khalid Tolba. 2025. Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing. Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 87 (0), 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

Chicago Style

Eleiwa, Nesreen Z., Eman K. Fathalla, Radwa A. Lela, Elsaid Saafan, Momtaz Shahin, and Khalid Tolba. "Evaluation of Beetroot and Chard Leaf Extracts as Natural Alternatives to Nitrate in Minced Meat Processing." Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences 87 (2025), 167-175. doi:10.5455/ajvs.267683

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APA (American Psychological Association) Style

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