Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Food Chemistry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem Research Article Nitrosamines in sucuk: Efects of black pepper, sodium ascorbate and cooking level Selen Sallan ⁎ , Güzin Kaban, Mükerrem Kaya Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum 25240, Turkey ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Nitrosamine Black pepper Nitrosopiperidine Sucuk Sodium ascorbate GC/MS ABSTRACT This study determined efects of diferent black pepper levels (5, 10 or 15 g kg −1 ), sodium ascorbate usage and cooking level (raw, medium, medium well and well done) on nitrosamine formation in sucuk (a kind of dry fermented sausage). Sodium ascorbate decreased residual nitrite considerably. Cooking level had a very sig- nifcant efect on nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) contents. NPIP content increased in sucuk both with and without ascorbate, as cooking level increased. High black pepper level decreased NPIP content in both raw and well done samples. The use of 15 g kg −1 black pepper level caused an increase in both NDMA and NPYR contents in the absence of ascorbate. In contrast, the com- bination of ascorbate and 15 g kg −1 black pepper resulted in a decrease in NPYR. 1. Introduction Nitrite is widely used to inhibit the growth of food-borne pathogens, particularly Clostridium botulinum, in meat products. Nitrite also plays an important role in the development of characteristic red color and taste of sausages. In addition, it inhibits oxidative rancidity by retarding lipid oxidation processes (Drabik-Markiewicz, Maagdenberg, De Mey, Deprez, & Kowalska, 2009; Herrmann, Granby, & Duedahl-Olesen, 2015). Therefore, it is accepted that nitrite is an essential curing agent for maintaining safety and quality of meat products. However, it is also known that nitrite plays a signifcant role in the formation of carcino- genic nitrosamines (Rywotycki, 1998; Ventanas, Martin, Estevez, & Ruiz, 2006). International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC) classifed N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) as probably carcinogenic for humans. Other nitrosamines commonly found in meat products such as N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), N-ni- trosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) are recognised as possibly carcinogenic for humans (IARC, 1978). N-Nitrosamines are formed in the reaction between a substance having an amino group and a nitrosating agent derived from nitrogen oxides (Drabik-Markiewicz et al., 2011; Wei et al., 2009). Formation of these compounds in meat products depends on various parameters, including cooking temperature and time, microbiota and pH value of product, concentration of nitrosamine precursor, presence of nitrosa- tion catalysts and/or inhibitors (Gloria, Barbour, & Scanlan, 1997; Sen, Iyengar, Donaldson, & Panalaks, 1974; Yurchenko & Mölder, 2007). Cooking temperature, cooking time and cooking techniques, such as grilling, roasting and frying, were reported to have a signifcant efect on the formation of nitrosamines and the nitrosamine content generally increases with increasing temperature and time (Rywotycki, 2002). Piperine and piperidine, which are found in black pepper, may play the role of precursors in nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) formation (De Mey, De Maere, Dewulf, et al., 2014). Piperidine, a cyclic secondary amine, forms as a result of alkaline hydrolysis of piperine (Jira, 2004). Piperine (1-piperoylpiperidine), a piperidine derivative, is the major component of black pepper (Piper nigrum, Piperaceae) (De Mey, De Maere, Goemaere, et al., 2014). It is noted that secondary amines such as pi- peridine are readily nitrosatable without the need of any heat treatment and therefore use of spices containing alcoholoids and nitrates in meat products is an additional source for nitrosamines. (De Mey, De Maere, Paelinck, & Fraeye, 2017). Sucuk is a Turkish dry-fermented sausage made from beef and/or water bufalo meat, sheep tail fat and/or beef meat fat, spices and curing salt. There are only two studies about nitrosamines in sucuk (Özdemir, Batı, & Gökalp, 1984; Ozel, Gogus, Yagci, Hamilton, & Lewis, 2010). Özdemir et al. (1984) determined nitrosamine contents of raw and cooked sucuk samples. In another study, nitrosamine contents of raw sucuk samples were investigated (Ozel et al., 2010). Sucuk is usually consumed after cooking (frying, grilling, etc.), although it is a type of dry-fermented sausage (Kaya & Kaban, 2016). Black pepper is one of the most commonly used spices and it is used around at 5–10gkg −1 in sucuk formulation. This spice has an important role for https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.129 Received 6 November 2018; Received in revised form 25 February 2019; Accepted 26 February 2019 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: selensallan@serka.gov.tr (S. Sallan). Food Chemistry 288 (2019) 341–346 Available online 09 March 2019 0308-8146/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. T