TOTAL NITRITE AND PHOSPORUS CONTENT IN MEAT PRODUCTS ON NOVI SAD MARKET

The main food preservatives added to meat products are nitrites and nitrates, and the most important antioxidants are phosphates. The content of additives in meat products is prescribed by the Rule Book. The aim of this paper was to monitor the content of nitrites and total phosphorus in meat products of producers from Novi Sad market, and, based on these results, find out whether the additives are used correctly. In one year period the content of additives in the products of four producers that sell on Novi Sad market was monitored. A total of 140 samples was examined. Phosphorus content was highly variable and ranged from 2.34 g/kg-8.45 g/kg. The nitrite level was the highest in the coarse-grained cooked sausages, but was not significantly different from the products of other producers. Only in two samples (1.43%) phosphorus content was higher than the prescribed value, and only in one tested sample it was outside the permissible value (0.71%). It can be concluded that the producers, despite the difference in the volume of production, technology and control, use additives properly.