Plant-based additive for inhibiting nitrite formation during meat preparation

A method of preventing and inhibiting bacterial growth on a food product, comprising:

• reacting a pomegranate peel extract with a zinc precursor solution to obtain a reaction mixture;
• stirring the reaction mixture for 15 to 60 minutes at a temperature of 50 to 90° C. to obtain zinc oxide nanoparticles;
• combining the zinc oxide nanoparticles with at least one extract composition selected from the group consisting of red cabbage extract and a beet root extract to obtain the plant-based additive;
• and
• contacting the plant-based additive with meat to inhibit or prevent the growth of bacteria on the meat,
• wherein the extract comprises 500 to 1000 parts per million of nitrate relative to a total weight of the plant-based additive.