The researchers wanted to see if they could use less sodium nitrite in canned pork without affecting its quality. They made three types of canned pork with different amounts of sodium nitrite and stored them for 180 days. They found that reducing the nitrite level to 50 mg/kg still kept the meat safe to eat. However, the color and antioxidant properties were not as good as the meat with more nitrite. They also found harmful bacteria in the products during storage. Adding plant materials with antioxidants might help improve the quality of the meat with less nitrite.