Comparative analysis of the use of natural and synthetic antioxidants in chicken meat: an update review.

The search for healthy foods has attracted the industry's attention to developing products that use natural ingredients, including natural antioxidants. Antioxidants act as free radicals or oxygen scavengers, inhibiting lipid oxidation and adversely affecting meat products' sensory and nutritional quality. Several synthetic antioxidants have been used in the meat industry; however, studies point to health risks related to their consumption. Such fact drives research into natural antioxidants extracted from grains, oilseeds, spices, fruits, and vegetables, which may have a health-promoting effect. This manuscript evaluates the effectiveness of several natural antioxidants in improving the quality and shelf life of chicken meat products during processing, storage, and distribution. The potential effects of natural antioxidants widely used in chicken products are also discussed. It can be concluded that these natural antioxidants are possible substitutes for synthetic ones. However, their use can affect the product's characteristics.

Effects of Button Mushroom Agaricus bisporus (Agaricomycetes) and Soybean Oil on Storage Characteristics of Chicken Sausage.

To investigate the effect of Agaricus bisporus and soybean oil as complex fat substitutes on the storage characteristics of chicken sausages, a pre-mixture of A. bisporus and soybean oil (1:2) was used to replace 0% (CK), 30% (T30), 60% (T60), and 90% (T90) of pork back fat in chicken sausages. The changes in color (brightness value, L*; redness value, a*; and yellowness value, b*), texture, pH, and total viable count of the sausages were examined at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 d of storage at 4°C, respectively. The results showed that A. bisporus and soybean oil altered the color of the sausages. At the same storage time, compared with CK, L* values of fat-reduced chicken sausages decreased significantly, while a* values increased significantly (P < 0.05), b* values increased significantly (P < 0.05) at the 10 d of storage. During storage, L* and a* values of CK gradually decreased and b* values gradually increased, fat-reduced sausages exhibited opposite trends in a* values and b* values compared with CK. The hardness and chewiness of fat-reduced sausages increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with CK at the same storage time. During storage, the overall hardness of fat-reduced sausages increased, and the springiness and chewiness fluctuated. T60 did not change significantly in cohesiveness throughout the storage period (P < 0.05). The pH of fat-reduced sausage was relatively stable during storage. The higher the amount of A. bisporus added, the greater the pH. The pH of T60 did not change throughout the storage period. A. bisporus and soybean oil showed some antibacterial effect on sausage and the minimum shelf life of chicken sausage with A. bisporus was 25 d. In conclusion, A. bisporus and soybean oil increased the redness and hardness of the sausages during storage, but the pH and total viable bacteria count remained relatively stable. T60 displayed the most stable storage properties among them, making it the optimum method for the manufacturing of fat-reduced chicken sausages.

Exposure to Phosphates and Nitrites through Meat Products: Estimation of the Potential Risk to Pregnant Women.

Diet during pregnancy is one of the most important nutritional challenges associated with some risks for the mother and the fetus. For the first time, the study aims to estimate long-term (2018-2022) exposure to nitrate and phosphates in Serbian pregnant women, based on individual consumption data and accurate values measured in frequently consumed meat products. For this purpose, seven types of meat products, consisting of 3047 and 1943 samples, were collected from retail markets across Serbia, to analyze nitrites and phosphorus content, respectively. These data were combined with meat product consumption data from the Serbian National Food Consumption Survey to assess dietary intake of nitrites and phosphate. The results were compared with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) proposed by the European Food Safety Authority. The average dietary exposure (EDI) to phosphorus ranged from 0.733 mg/kg bw/day (liver sausage and pate) to 2.441 mg/kg bw/day (finely minced cooked sausages). Considering nitrite intake, the major sources were bacon (0.030 mg/kg bw/day) and coarsely minced cooked sausages (0.0189 mg/kg bw/day). In our study, average nitrite and phosphorus exposure in the Serbian pregnant women population are far below the EFSA recommendations (ADI 0.07 mg/kg bw/day and 40 mg/kg bw/day, respectively).

Development of meat spread with omega-3 fatty acids derived from flaxseed oil for the elderly: Physicochemical, textural, and rheological properties.

This study evaluates the characteristics of n-3-enriched meat spread that is in development for consumption by elderly individuals. Herein, flaxseed oil was used as a source of n-3 fatty acid, and macro- and nano-sized flaxseed oil emulsions (FOE) were prepared for the fabrication of meat spreads. As the level of FOE was increased in the meat spreads, significant increases in the levels of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) were observed. Emulsion stability and cooking loss were also improved in meat spreads formulated with FOE compared with those the control. In particular, the addition of FOE generated softer and less chewy meat, owing to its lower melting point and rheological properties. However, the high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the FOE-containing meat spreads increased their susceptibility to lipid oxidation meat. These findings indicate that FOE, particularly macro-sized FOE, has the potential for use in n-3 fatty acid enriched meat products that are intended for consumption by elderly individuals but need to be evaluated for their impacts on shelf-life and sensory quality.

Effects of vegetable oil and ethylcellulose on the oleogel properties and its application in Harbin red sausage.

The effects of ethylcellulose (EC) concentration (6-12 %) and types of vegetable oil (sunflower, peanut, corn, and flaxseed oils) on the color, hardness, oil loss, lipid oxidation, and rheology property of oleogels were investigated in this study. Peanut oil (PO) oleogel was selected to replace pork fat partially in Harbin red sausage. Meanwhile, the fatty acid profile, texture, and sensory attributes of the reformulated sausages were analyzed. Oleogels formulated with higher EC concentration had higher brightness and hardness, a higher degree of lipid oxidation, and greater storage (G') and loss (G'') moduli. Oleogels formulated with PO had lower oil loss, flaxseed oil oleogel had higher hardness. Corn oil and PO oleogels had a lower level of lipid oxidation. The texture, lipid oxidation, and sensory attributes of the reformulated sausages, in which 10-30 % pork fat was replaced with PO oleogel, did not significantly differ from those without oleogel replacement. Meanwhile, the reformulated sausages had a healthier fatty acids profile and higher nutritional value.

Lacto-fermented garlic sauce improved the quality and extended the shelf life of lamb meat under the chilled condition.

This study evaluated the potential of fermented garlic as a marinated lamb sauce ingredient to improve the quality and shelf life of chilled lamb. Garlic was subjected to Lacto-fermentation for 72 h at 37 °C using Lacticaseibacillus casei. The 1H NMR metabolomics profile showed the presence of eight amino acids and five organic acids in fermented garlic, indicating the attribution to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The FRAP and DPPH assays of fermented garlic revealed antioxidant activities of 0.45 ± 0.09 mmol/100 g DW and 93.85 ± 0.02 %, respectively. Meanwhile, fermented garlic inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (95 %), Staphylococcus aureus (99 %) and Salmonella Typhimurium (98 %). When fermented garlic was added to the marinade sauce, it successfully reduced the microbial load of lamb meat by 0.5 log CFU/g after 3 days of storage. There were no significant differences in color between the control and marinated lamb after 3 days of marinating in a sauce formulated with fermented garlic. Furthermore, marinated lamb significantly improved water-holding capacity, texture, juiciness, and overall acceptance. These findings indicated a potential addition of fermented garlic in marinade lamb sauce recipes to improve the quality and safety of meat products.

Hydrogelled emulsion from linseed oil and pea protein as a strategy to produce healthier pork burgers with high technological and sensory quality.

Hydrogelled emulsions (HEs) produced with linseed oil and different levels of pea protein (PP) (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) were used to replace 50% of animal fat in burgers. The effect of this lipid reformulation on the nutritional, technological, oxidative, microbiological, and sensory quality of the burgers was evaluated during their refrigerated storage (4 °C for 12 days). The reformulated burgers displayed a reduction of >40% in fat and an increase of up to 10% in protein content. Lipid reformulation also increased the PUFA/SFA ratio and reduced the n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratio and the atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices of the lipid fraction of the burgers. Including 5 and 10% of PP in the HEs made it possible to obtain burgers of high technological quality and with a sensory profile similar to full-fat products. PP was also efficient in reducing the increase in the lipid oxidation caused by the enrichment with n-3 PUFAs.

Effect of the addition of chokeberry leaf extract on the physicochemical and sensory properties of burgers from dark cutting veal.

The occurrence of the DFD defect shortens microbiological stability and reduces consumer acceptance of meat. The effect of a chokeberry leaf extract (ChLE) addition at concentrations of 0.01 %, 0.05 % and 0.1 % on the sensory and physicochemical properties of burgers prepared from DFD meat during refrigerated storage under vacuum for 10 days was assessed. The pH, water activity, texture, colour, degree of lipid oxidation, and content of α-tocopherol were measured. The extract at concentrations of 0.05 % and 0.1 % significantly influenced lower levels of lipid oxidation and higher content of α-tocopherol on each tested period. Moreover, these concentrations had a beneficial effect on the instrumental and sensory evaluation of texture parameters and on overall quality. It was concluded that the addition of 0.1 % extract was the most beneficial over the entire 10-day storage period. In summary, use of ChLE may reduce the loss of raw meat caused by DFD defect.

Meat systems produced with Monascus pigment water-in-oil-in-water multiple emulsion as pork fat replacers.

Multiple emulsions have drawn great attentions from researchers in the production of low-fat foods. The Monascus pigment W/O/W multiple emulsions were prepared by a two-step emulsification procedure with Monascus pigment as inner water phase, flaxseed gum (FG) as internal water phase gel, soybean oil as oil phase, and pea protein isolate (PPI) as outer water phase. We aimed to investigate the quality of pork emulsion systems in which pork fat was replaced by W/O/W emulsions. The results revealed that addition of W/O/W emulsions reduced lipid contents from 11.22% to 5.09%, enhanced protein level from 15.77% to 17.02%, increased polyunsaturated fatty acid composition from 23.36% to 59.63%, improved water-holding capacity and oxidative stability compared to the control samples with pork fat. It was demonstrated that meat systems could achieve dual functions including decreasing the total fat content without affecting the hardness of the meat systems and color retention.

Use of Olive and Sunflower Oil Hydrogel Emulsions as Pork Fat Replacers in Goat Meat Burgers: Fat Reduction and Effects in Lipidic Quality.

Diversified strategies to incorporate healthier lipids in processed meat products are being developed. Alternative fat sources to replace animal fat associated with the reduction of fat content are some of the methods used to obtain healthier meat products well recognized by consumers. In order to create a healthier product that can also be consumed in the Halal and Kosher consumer markets, an experimental study was developed to assess the effects of replacing the pork fat (4%) with the same amount of hydrogel emulsion incorporating olive oil or sunflower oil. Three burgers were randomly selected from each lot manufactured and analyzed in triplicate. Burgers were physicochemical analyzed for pH, water activity, composition, fatty acid profile, color, yield, texture, oxidative stability, and volatile compounds and compared according to the fat source. Burgers with hydrogel emulsions can be considered reduced-fat meat products with a healthier fatty acid profile than pork fat burgers. The use of hydrogel emulsions did not negatively affect the quality characteristics assessed in the product and improved the oxidative stability during the storage of cooked burgers. By the characteristics and formulations evaluated, the replacement of pork fat with olive oil hydrogel emulsion proved to be the most effective strategy for obtaining a healthier goat meat product.

Novel biphasic gels can mimic and replace animal fat in fully-cooked coarse-ground sausage.

Four biphasic gels (BPG) were developed and tested as pork fat replacers in coarse-ground fully-cooked sausages. An oleogel (OG) phase (92.5% high-oleic soybean oil, 7.5% rice bran wax) and one of two hydrogel (HG) phases (water and 7% or 8% gelatin) were combined in 7:3 or 6:4 OG:HG ratios, for a total of four test formulations. Control sausages were formulated to 27.5% fat and stored at 0-2 °C for 98 d. BPGs allowed for fat reductions of up to 26%. Visually, all BPGs resembled pork fat. There were no differences in external L* and a* but, internally, controls were darker and redder. Except for one control, there were no differences in Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness. Warner-Bratzler Shear (WBS) force was highest in 6:4 samples, which were also highest in Sensory First Bite Firmness and lowest in Smoked Sausage Aroma and Smoked Sausage Flavor. TBARS values remained steady, with no rancid flavors detected by the sensory panel.

Combined effect of beet powder and lentil flour as a partial nitrite substitute on physicochemical, texture and sensory characteristics, color, and oxidative stability of pork bologna.

The combined effect of beet powder (BP; 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) and 6% lentil flour (LF) as a partial nitrite substitute on quality attributes of pork bologna incorporated with 7.5% mechanically separated pork during 12 weeks of cold storage was evaluated. A randomized block experimental design with nine treatments and five storage times (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks) was used for pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, protein oxidation (carbonyl and sulfhydryl), and color parameters. Bologna preparation at a pilot plant scale was replicated three times. LF addition resulted (p < 0.05) in higher viscosity, emulsion stability, and lower expressible drip. Together BP and LF decreased protein oxidation during storage but were not as effective as nitrite with respect to lipid oxidation. Bologna with BP addition showed lower lightness and higher redness, whereas LF increased lightness and decreased redness. A consumer panel rated color acceptability of bologna lower with LF addition, whereas BP raised color acceptability. However, addition of the highest BP level alone to the bologna was negatively perceived as a result of the low acceptability of purge color of the vacuum-packaged bologna slices. Consequently, the combination of BP and LF could be used to improve eating quality and stability attributes when used as a potential nitrite substitute.

Development of Seed-Oil Based Dried Sausages, Considering Physicochemical and Nutritional Quality and the Role of Food Neophobia.

A growing number of consumers now consider the consumption of processed meat products to be an essentially unhealthy habit. Hence, the reformulation of meat products is crucial. In this regard, the aim of this study is to reformulate "fuet", a traditional Spanish dried sausage, by replacing the pork fat with emulsified seed oils (50-50%, 25-75% and 0-100%). Four seed oils were evaluated, including commercial seeds (poppy and chia) and other seeds considered subproducts (melon and pumpkin). Physical parameters, nutritional quality and consumer evaluation of the reformulated dried sausages were analyzed. Additionally, we considered the effects of food neophobia on consumer evaluation. The resulting fuets had a higher concentration of linoleic and linolenic acids, which varied according to the oil used. In the sensory analysis, non-neophobic consumers showed higher preference for the reformulated fuets, while all consumers gave their highest ratings to the fuets produced with pumpkin seed oil.

Olive oil oleogels as strategy to confer nutritional advantages to burgers.

The effect of bovine back fat replacement by oleogels containing pork skin and olive oil on the oxidative stability, physicochemical, technological, nutritional, and sensory parameters of burgers was evaluated. Four different hamburger (H) were manufactured: with 90 % of lean beef and 10 % of bovine back fat (control, HC), or with 10 % of pork skin/water/virgin olive oil (HVOO), stripped olive oil added of an olive leaf extract (HESOO) or stripped olive oil (HSOO) oleogels, at 20:60:20 ratio. Physical-chemical stability was assessed after storage for 7 days at 4 °C and for 90 days at -20 °C, under non-vacuum and vacuum packaging. A reduction in the fat content by 80 % and in the energy content by 35 %, an increase in the protein content by 15 % and a better fatty acid profile were achieved in the oleogel containing burgers. After processing at 180 °C (grill), hardness, chewiness, sensory parameters and overall acceptability were high and comparable to control. All burgers were oxidative stable during 7 days at 4 °C. After storage for 90 days at -20 °C, only HSOO samples stored under non-vacuum packaging were oxidized. The antioxidant content in samples HVOO and HESOO efficiently prevented the oxidation of these samples.

Understanding the impact of nitrogen and sulfur precursors on the aroma of dry fermented sausages.

The goal of this study was to confirm and acquire more information about the nitrogen and sulfur compounds existing in the volatile profile of dry fermented sausages from the addition of precursors (proline, ornithine and thiamine), and their role in sausage aroma. To this end, the precursors were added to the formulation of sausages, which were submitted to a fermentation and drying process. The sausage aroma was analyzed by olfactometry technique and Free Choice Profile sensory analysis. The results showed that the addition of precursors impacted the aroma, and reduced the level of oxidation in the final sausages while microbial differences were mainly observed in Orn-sausages. Among the aroma compounds detected only 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)furan verified the effect of thiamine supplementation and the impact on the cured and savoury odours detected in Thia-sausages by Free Choice profile sensory analysis, while no clear effect could be attributed to specific volatile compounds in the nitrogen supplemented sausages.

Hydrogel Emulsion with Encapsulated Safflower Oil Enriched with Açai Extract as a Novel Fat Substitute in Beef Burgers Subjected to Storage in Cold Conditions.

This study evaluates the effects of using a fat substitute in beef burgers composed of a hydrogel emulsion enriched with encapsulated safflower oil and açai extract. The influences of the fat substitute on the chemical (TBARS, fatty acids, and volatile compounds profile) and physical (weight loss, cooking loss, water-holding capacity, color, and texture analyses) characteristics of the burgers were analyzed after 0, 4 and 8 days of storage at 4 ± 1 °C. The obtained results were compared with control groups (20 g of tallow or 8 g of safflower oil). The fat substitute used improved burger parameters such as chewiness, hardness and the a* color parameter remained unchanged over storage time. The addition of açai extract slowed the oxidation rate of polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduced the changes in the volatile compounds profile during the storage of burgers. The utilization of a fat substitute enriched the burgers with polyunsaturated fatty acids and lowered the atherogenic index (0.49 raw, 0.58 grilled burger) and the thrombogenicity index (0.8 raw, 1.09 grilled burger), while it increased the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (2.59 raw, 2.09 grilled burger) of consumed meat. Thus, the application of the presented fat substitute in the form of a hydrogel enriched with açai berry extract extended the shelf life of the final product and contributed to the creation of a healthier meat product that met the nutritional recommendations.

Red beet and Swiss chard juice extract as natural nitrate sources for the production of alternatively-cured emulsion-type sausages.

Statements that naturally cured meat products may contain lower residual nitrite levels compared to classical variants led to a closer examination of emulsion-type sausage products in this study, where the input of nitrate from plant extracts (red beet and Swiss chard) was adjusted to typical input levels of nitrite from nitrite curing salt (0.5% NaNO2). The investigations showed that an incubation period of 150 min at 38 °C was necessary to complete the microbial reduction process of nitrate to nitrite and that residual nitrite contents of naturally cured sausages were comparable to the conventionally cured variant, regardless of the nitrate source. During the incubation period, the starter cultures were the dominant microorganisms and showed competitive properties against the natural accompanying flora. In terms of colour development, the variants with Swiss chard juice extract as well as synthetic nitrate showed similar colour formation to conventionally produced emulsion-type sausages. In contrast, colour-providing components of the red beet extract considerably masked the typical appearance.

Development of GLM regression models to predict the consumer acceptability of cooked ham based on analytical parameters.

Due to concerns about meat quality, health, sustainability and animal welfare, the typical Belgian meat products such as cooked ham are being threatened by a negative reputation. To address these concerns, an objective quality assessment tool was developed that could predict the consumer acceptability for a range of sensorial descriptors based on analytical parameters. A total of 28 commercial cooked hams were evaluated by a sensorial panel of consumers while simultaneously, a broad range of analytical tests were conducted on the same hams. Per sensorial descriptor, the analytical results and consumer acceptability for all cooked hams were processed by Generalized Linear Modelling (GLM). This holistic approach makes it possible to predict the consumer acceptability of a sensorial descriptor with great reliability and robustness by only using objective analytical parameters. An efficient R&D tool was developed to optimize the sensorial and analytical quality of the cooked ham that meets consumer demands.

Application of atmospheric pressure cold plasma activated plant protein preparations solutions as an alternative curing method for pork sausages.

This study was performed to determine the effect of plasma-activated solutions of protein preparations of selected plants, as an alternative nitrite source, on the quality characteristics of pork sausages. The used solutions contained 500 ppm nitrite. Sausages without nitrite (NC), with 75 ppm sodium nitrite (PC), and with solutions of soy (E1), pea (E2) and lentil (E3) preparations (100 g/kg of meat ingredients) were manufactured and stored for 8 days. The results showed that after processing sausages from E1, E2 and E3 groups showed similar nitrite content as PC group (20.69-21.89 mg nitrite/kg; P ≥ 0.05). Performed analyses (residual nitrite, nitrosylhemochrome content, a* values, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total aerobic plate count) suggested also that addition of nitrite through solutions of soy and pea plasma-activated preparations extended the shelf life of sausages comparable to sodium nitrite without a negative effect on aroma (PCA), as was reported for some other sources of nitrite.

The Intake of Phosphorus and Nitrites through Meat Products: A Health Risk Assessment of Children Aged 1 to 9 Years Old in Serbia.

This study provides the data on dietary exposure of Serbian children to nitrites and phosphorus from meat products by combining individual consumption data with available analytical data of meat products. A total of 2603 and 1900 commercially available meat products were categorized into seven groups and analysed for nitrite and phosphorous content. The highest mean levels of nitrite content, expressed as NaNO2, were found in finely minced cooked sausages (40.25 ± 20.37 mg/kg), followed by canned meat (34.95 ± 22.12 mg/kg) and coarsely minced cooked sausages (32.85 ± 23.25 mg/kg). The EDI (estimated daily intake) of nitrites from meat products, calculated from a National Food Consumption Survey in 576 children aged 1-9 years, indicated that the Serbian children population exceeded the nitrite ADI (acceptable daily intake) proposed by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) in 6.4% of children, with a higher proportion in 1-3-year-old participants. The mean phosphorus concentration varied from 2.71 ± 1.05 g/kg to 6.12 ± 1.33 g/kg in liver sausage and pate and smoked meat products, respectively. The EDI of phosphorus from meat products was far below the ADI proposed by EFSA, indicating that the use of phosphorus additives in Serbian meat products is generally in line with legislation.