Cooked meat products, particularly ham, are widely consumed, and reducing nitrite levels has become a priority due to health concerns and regulatory pressure. This study evaluated the microbiological safety, technological performance, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of whole cooked ham formulated with reduced nitrite (from 150 to 80ppm) during shelf life. Microbiological analyses were conducted every 15days, including total viable counts (TVC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. TVC and LAB remained below the safety threshold (<104CFU/g), while all other parameters were below detection limits. Sulphite reducing Clostridium spores, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were absent from all samples. Challenge testing with L. monocytogenes and Clostridium sporogenes was performed to assess the product's ability to inhibit pathogen growth under simulated storage conditions (up 35 and 90days, respectively) and temperature abuse conditions (8°C). The reduced-nitrite ham formulation effectively inhibited the growth of C. sporogenes and delayed the growth of L. monocytogenes. Technological assessments included colour measurements, water retention capacity, and texture profile analysis (TPA), with no significant differences observed between the standard and nitrite reduced formulations (P>0.05). Physicochemical parameters such as pH (6.0-6.2), water activity (aw, 0.9669-0.9482), and residual nitrite content (4 to 1mg/kg) were evaluated at 0, 45 and 90days. These findings demonstrate that reducing nitrite levels to 80ppm can ensure the product safety and quality, as evidenced by stable physicochemical properties and the preservation of sensory characteristics such as appearance, odour, texture, and flavour.

High consumption of processed meats is associated with higher intakes of refined sugars, sodium, and fats, and lower intakes of phytochemicals and dietary fibres, prompting a search for healthier processed foods. Lemon by-products, which account for up to 50% of lemon production, are rich in bioactive compounds and represent a promising functional ingredient. This study examined the effects of incorporating lemon dietary fibre (LDF) and/or lemon phenolic compound-rich extract (LPC) recovered from lemon by-products into mortadella. Four formulations were developed: Control (CS), LDF (3%), LPC (1%), and LDF (3%)+LPC (1%). The nutritional, technological, microbiological, phenolic content, and sensory properties of the reformulated mortadellas were assessed through shelf-life analysis during 28days, with sampling at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Inclusion of LDF significantly (p<0.05) affected moisture, protein, and colour parameters over time. At day 0, the incorporation of LDF increased protein content (16.47% vs 15.52% in CS), reduced moisture (62.67% vs 65.46% in CS), and enhanced lightness (L*=67.49 vs 63.62 in CS). Notably, LDF caused a significant reduction in residual nitrite levels (p<0.05), decreasing from 70.50mg/kg in the control to 36.93mg/kg at day 0, and from 35.66mg/kg in the control to 7.85mg/kg at day 28, indicating its potential to enhance product safety. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of eriocitrin and hesperidin in the mortadellas. Formulations containing LPC, which contains vitamin C, highlight their potential as natural antioxidants to reduce lipid oxidation. Moreover, formulations containing LPC, despite the absence of sodium ascorbate, demonstrated excellent microbiological stability (< 2.5 log cfu/g) over 28days of storage. Sensory evaluation revealed strong acceptance by panellists, confirming their suitability for use in meat products. Overall, incorporating lemon co-products into mortadella provides a practical way to enhance shelf life, nutritional profile, and safety of processed meats.