Observations of the use of 137caesium radiation to control N-nitrosopyrrolidine formation in bacon.

Several alternatives to the use of nitrite, including irradiation, have been developed to reduce the nitrosamine content in bacon and still retain its microbiological safety and desirable sensory characteristics. This paper presents results obtained from experiments in which 137Cs was used at +5 degrees C. Bacon prepared with 120 or 40 mg/kg sodium nitrite (NaNO2) yielded lower residual nitrite before frying and lower levels of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) after frying when irradiated at 3.0 Mrad, compared to doses of 0, 0.75 and 1.50 Mrad. Also, a slight increase in the level of NPYR in fried bacon over the 0 control was noted with 0.75 Mrad. In bacon irradiated with 0-1.5 Mrad in 0.25-Mrad increments, a marked increase was observed at 0.5 Mrad. Bacon from pork bellies irradiated prior to processing had more NPYR after frying than bacon irradiated after processing, suggesting the formation of an additional precursor or some catalytic agent.