. ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁b acter ia ▁also ▁affect s ▁sod ium ▁nit rit es ▁effect iveness . ▁It ▁is ▁generally ▁agreed ▁upon ▁that ▁sod ium ▁nit rite ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁effective ▁for ▁cont rolling ▁gram - negative ▁enter ic ▁path og ens ▁such ▁as ▁Sal mon ella ▁and ▁E scher ich ia ▁col i . ▁ ▁Other ▁food ▁add it ives ▁( such ▁as ▁la ct ate ▁and ▁sor b ate ) ▁provide ▁similar ▁protection ▁against ▁b acter ia , ▁but ▁do ▁not ▁provide ▁the ▁desired ▁p ink ▁color . ▁ ▁In hib ition ▁of ▁li pid ▁per ox id ation ▁S od ium ▁nit rite ▁is ▁also ▁able ▁to ▁effectively ▁delay ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁ox id ative ▁r anc id ity . ▁Lip id ▁per ox id ation ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁major ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁quality ▁of ▁meat ▁products ▁( ran cid ity ▁and ▁un app et izing ▁flav ors ). ▁S od ium ▁nit rite ▁acts ▁as ▁an ▁ant io x id ant ▁in ▁a ▁mechanism ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁one ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁color ing ▁affect . ▁N it rite ▁react s ▁with ▁h eme ▁prote ins ▁and ▁metal ▁ ions , ▁neutral izing ▁free ▁radical s ▁by ▁nit ric ▁ox ide ▁( one ▁of ▁its ▁by products ). ▁Ne ut ral ization ▁of ▁these ▁free ▁radical s ▁termin ates ▁the ▁cycle ▁of ▁li pid ▁ox id ation ▁that ▁leads ▁to ▁r anc id ity . ▁ ▁Ac ute ▁to x