Vitiva introduces anti-rancidity preservative for meat-based ready meals

Vitiva has introduced an all-natural preservative which allows effective anti-rancidity protection for various types of meat-based ready meals.

VivOX 4 is an oil-soluble and water-dispersible formula which helps increase shelf-life and reduces warmed over flavour (WOF), while keeping important organoleptic characteristics of the product.

Production of meat-based ready meals includes thermal processing that affects the fats present in food and increases their oxidative instability.

This instability is even greater when foods are battered and fried, due to oil pick up of fried products such as chicken nuggets.

During cooling, freezing, transportation and warehousing, there is an increased exposure to oxygen and light, which accelerates unwanted changes of ready-meals, like rancidity, organoleptics characteristics and appearance of WOF.

The demand for freshness overlaps with trends in healthy ready-meals, which still remains an important and growing sector.

Vitiva chief executive officer Ohad Cohen the company recognised the importance of natural and fresh ingredients in the ready-meals category by utilising an all-natural preservative based on rosemary extract in order to increase the overall quality of meat-based ready meals.

The company explained that by adding the allergen-free VivOX 4 formula, the shelf-life of meat-based ready-meals can be extended by 2 to 5 times in comparison to control samples that utilise traditional synthetic ingredients, while still maintaining the original taste and flavour profile.