Improvement of meat oxidation stability by addition of natural products with Velp’s Oxitest
Meat and fish are the main proteic food products consumed in the human diet. Their shelf-life is quite limited due to the easy attack from bacteria, also the presence of a consistent amount of fat that is easily subjected to an oxidation process, thus producing molecules responsible for off-flavour development.
Fat oxidation is a complex chemical reaction stimulated by oxygen and light exposure, and is accelerated by high temperatures and presence of metal traces. Aromatic plants such as rosemary, oregano, and several spices such as red chili pepper powder are rich in compounds showing strong antioxidant properties.
The addition of such natural ingredients, or their extracts, to food products, has been proposed in order to increase food storage, in particular thanks to their activity against fat oxidation.
One of the most important quality alteration of food is due to oxygen absorption by the unsaturated fatty acids, free or esterified. The auto-oxidation of fats is a chemical reaction promoted by oxygen, light, high temperatures, metal traces and, sometimes, enzymes. OXITEST can determine the oxidation stability of various sample types, without the need for preliminary fat separation.
Read the APPLICATION NOTES below to learn more!
APPLICATION NOTES
Oxidation Stability