RESUMO
There are several alternative technologies to nitrite use in meat products, including cold plasma. In this study, a cold-plasma-treated phosphate solution was added to smoked sausage, as a new ingredient. Subsequently, the color, texture, and flavor of the samples were analyzed. The results showed that, compared with nitrite (0.075 g/kg nitrite added to sausage), the addition of 30~90% nitrite and cold-plasma-treated phosphate solution had no significant effect on the a* value or the relative content of oxygenated myoglobin (p > 0.05). The amount of residual nitrite in the smoked sausage prepared with the addition of 30~70% nitrite and cold-plasma-treated phosphate solution was significantly lower than that of the nitrite-treated group. The addition of nitrite combined with cold-plasma-treated phosphate solution had no significant effects on the texture (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience) or the sensory evaluation of the smoked sausage. A total of 69 volatile compounds were detected, and 20 of them had VIP (Variable Importance Plot) scores higher than one. In conclusion, cold plasma treatment represents a potential technology to partially substitute nitrite. This study provides new methods for the application of this nitrite substitute.