COMPOSITIONS OF ELECTROCHEMICALLY REDUCED PLANT-BASED EXTRACTS FOR CURING MEAT AND RELATED METHODS
The present invention relates to electrochemically reduced nitrites from plant sources, such as vegetable extracts, where the plant-based extract contains nitrite in an amount sufficient to cure meat equally as effective to synthetic compounds when the dosage of nitrite was the same.
1 . A composition for curing meat that contains a natural nitrite in an amount sufficient to cure meat, wherein the nitrite is electrochemically-reduced from a plant source.
2 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the plant source is a vegetable or leafy plant that contains nitrate.
3 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the vegetable or leafy plant is selected from the group consisting of arugula, cabbage, brussels sprouts, celery, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, kale, and swiss chard.
4 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein meat refers to land animals, poultry, or any species that contain myoglobin to produce cured meat pigment.
5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the naturally-derived nitrite composition is capable of achieving the same or improved results when compared to the results of an equivalent dosage of a synthetic nitrite.
6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is liquid or dry.
7 . A method of curing meat comprising the step of applying an effective amount of a naturally-derived nitrite composition to the meat, wherein the nitrite composition is electrochemically-reduced from a vegetable source.
8 . The method of claim 6 wherein the plant source is a vegetable or leafy plant that contains nitrate.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the vegetable or leafy plant is selected from the group consisting of arugula, cabbage, brussels sprouts, celery, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, kale and swiss chard.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein meat refers to land animals and poultry, or any species that contain myoglobin to produce cured meat pigment.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the naturally-derived nitrite composition is capable of achieving the same or improved results when compared to the results of an equivalent dosage of a synthetic nitrite.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the composition is liquid or dry.
13 . A system for curing meat comprising using a plant-based nitrite composition, wherein the plant-based nitrite composition is prepared from a vegetable extract that has been electrochemically-reduced, and wherein the plant-based nitrite contains nitrite in an amount sufficient to cure meat equally as effective to synthetic compounds when the dosage of nitrite was the same.
14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the plant source is a vegetable or leafy plant that contains nitrate.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the vegetable or leafy plant is selected from the group consisting of arugula, cabbage, brussels sprouts, celery, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, kale and swiss chard.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein meat refers to land animals and poultry, or any species that contain myoglobin to produce cured meat pigment.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the composition is liquid or dry.