Hemp Flour as a Functional Ingredient for the Partial Replacement of Nitrites in a Minced Meat Model: Effect on Nutrient Composition, Antioxidant Profile and Sensory Characteristics  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
2 Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Kolla, 50100 Kozani, Greece; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
3 School of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
[PERSON]  
1 Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou, 53100 Florina, Greece; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Footnote 13: email: email: {https://Nowadays, consumers are increasingly seeking healthier meat options that are low in salt, fat, cholesterol, and overall calories. Additionally, there is a growing interest in incorporating bioactive components with health-promoting properties, such as carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and fibre. Moreover, despite the fact that chemical additives are safe for consumers when used according to regulatory guidelines, the prevailing belief that natural compounds are inherently safer has driven the meat industry to explore plant-derived additives to reduce or eliminate the use of artificial ingredients. However, consumers also expect that these innovative meat products, despite their modified formulations, should maintain the familiar taste, appearance, and aroma of their traditionally prepared and processed counterparts [8]. In this respect, herbs and spices, fruit and vegetable extracts, and food industry by-products have been extensively explored as natural \"clean label\" ingredients with antimicrobial, antioxidant, texturizing, and colouring functions in meat products [6; 9; 10; 11]. An emerging trend is the application of alternative novel flours from various sources to improve the characteristics and nutritional value of commitment meat products. Products such as grape skin flour, chestnut flour, beet flour, lentil flour, oat flour, papaya flour, and hemp flour have been employed as functional ingredients in meat products [12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17], with variable results related not only to shelf life characteristics but also to sensory characteristics such as colour and texture. Regarding hemp, the effect of hemp-based additives in meat products, e.g., meatballs with hemp flour [18]; pork meat loaves with hemp seeds, de-hulled hemp seeds, hemp flour, and hemp protein [17]; pork meat burger patties with hemp seed cake [19]; and chicken meat sausage with hemp seed meal [20], has not been extensively studied. Hemp products such as seeds, oil, flour, and de-hulled hemp seeds exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and contain n-3 fatty acids, protein, and minerals [21]. The European Union approved the cultivation of hemp varieties that contain up to 0.3% THC (tetrahydrorocannabinol), a psychotropic substance [22]. Finally, there is a growing interest in food products that contain hemp ingredients due to their high nutritional value. Therefore, its legalisation and increased demand are expected to increase the production of hemp worldwide. As a result, the meat industry can explore the utilisation of hemp products as an alternative food ingredient in processed meat products to improve their quality characteristics. Nitrite is a multifunctional ingredient widely utilised in meat products, responsible for extending shelf life due to its antimicrobial properties, particularly against _Clostridium botulinum_; oxidation inhibition and its role in developing the characteristic cured colour and flavour of many products [23]. The application of sodium nitrite in meat-based products has been associated with the potential formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines, and therefore the application of nitrites in meat products is strictly regulated in most developed countries.