Effect of nisin and potassium sorbate additions on lipids and nutritional quality of Tan sheep meat

•Changes of lipids in meat with preservatives were analyzed by HRMS and lipidomics.•Classes and numbers of lipids in meat with different preservatives were compared.•The 106 significantly changed lipids in 12 classes were quantified.•Less PE 18:1/18:1 content was shown graphically with higher preservatives content.•Preferable preservative nisin with less effect on meat lipids was confirmed. Nisin and potassium sorbate as preservatives are used in a broad range of meat. A lipidomic evaluation was performed on Tan sheep meat treated by two types of preservatives. The addition of potassium sorbate resulted in higher lipid losses compared with nisin treatment. Furthermore, 106 significant lipids of 12 lipid classes (PC, PS, LPS, LPC, PE, PI, LPE, TG, Cer, DG, SM, Sph) with variable importance in projection scores greater than 1.0 were detected and qualified to distinguish different preservatives added meat using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS/MS. LOD and LOQ were 0.12–0.32 μg kg−1 and 0.35–0.89 μg kg−1, indicating high sensitivity and excellent analytical characteristics in the study. Nisin was confirmed to be the better preservative for prolonging the shelf life of Tan sheep meat while reducing the loss of nutrients. These results could provide a strong cornerstone for future research on preservatives in meat products.