Some lactic acid bacteria, such as L. plantarum, produce nitrite reductase
that degrades nitrite (Gøtterup et al., 2007); this species was common
in our study, particularly in the mid- and end-fermentation stages and
is likely to have contributed to the subsequent rapid decrease in nitrite
levels (to 2.11mg/kg) by the end of fermentation stage (40 d).