Sodium chloride and nitrite contents in canned meat in pieces from the Serbian market

Canned meat in pieces (CM) is a group of meat products widely consumed by children and consumers with special diet regimes, due to high protein and low fat content. In this study safety of these products regarding sodium chloride and nitrite contents was examined in total of 19 meat samples produced by 14 most represented meat processors on Serbian market. The statement about high protein and low fat content in CM for products from the Serbian market was confirmed. The products made from chicken meat ("Pileća prsa", protein 12.4 to 17.4 g/100 g; fat 0.92 to 3.84 g/100 g) had higher protein and lower fat content that the products made from pork ("Pizza šunka", protein 11.5 to 14.3 g/100 g; fat 4.61 to 14.4 g/100 g). In the group "Pileća prsa" 90.91% of samples had sodium chloride content below 1.5 g/100 g, while in the group "Pizza šunka", 75% of samples had sodium chloride content lower than 1.5 g/100g. Residual nitrite content in product "Pileća prsa" ranged from 0.62 to 20.7 mg/kg and in product "Pizza šunka" this content ranged from 3.27 to 19.2 mg/kg. These results indicate that all analysed samples were below the required limits of nitrite content. According to the results obtained in this study, children and consumers with special diet regimes are free to consume Serbian meat products in the type of CM considering the contents of protein and fat, as well as sodium chloride and nitrite residue.