Comparison of Quality Characteristics of Commercially Available Frankfurters in Korea with Synthetic Nitrite Addition or Natural Alternative Systems

This study examined the physicochemical characteristics of eight commercially available frankfurters in Korea, including four brands formulated with synthetic nitrite (Nitrite A–D) and four brands employing natural nitrite-alternative systems (Alternative A–D). These commercial products were further compared with two laboratory-manufactured frankfurters: one prepared with synthetic nitrite (Nitrite-Lab) and one in which nitrite derived from pre-converted solution based Chinese cabbage powder (Alternative-Lab). pH values ranged from 5.95 to 6.30, with the commercial Nitrite and Alternative groups spanning similar ranges, while Alternative-Lab showed the lowest value (5.95). Water activity ranged from 0.937 to 0.951 and salt content from 1.27 to 1.86%. CIE a* values among commercial products varied widely (7.69–14.24), whereas Nitrite-Lab and Alternative-Lab did not differ significantly in CIE a* (p>0.05). Residual nitrite content of Alternative-Lab was lower than that of Nitrite-Lab (p<0.05), and all products remained within the Korea regulatory limit (1.89–15.62 ppm). Cured pigment and total pigment contents showed no consistent pattern attributable to nitrite source. Alternative-Lab yielded the highest cured pigment content among all samples (p<0.05) and achieved a curing efficiency of 83.97%. Furthermore, Other products also exceeded 80% curing efficiency, indicating adequate curing regardless of nitrite source. These results demonstrate considerable variation in the physicochemical quality of commercially available frankfurters in Korea and indicate that Chinese cabbage powder-based pre-conversion technology can effectively reduce residual nitrite while maintaining cured color development comparable to that achieved of synthetic nitrite.