March 3, 2008

Sea buckthorn berries found to be natural meat preservative
 

Scientists have found that antioxidant-rich extracts from sea buckthorn berries could obstruct the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in process meats therefore improving shelf life.

Recent research have found that the antioxidant-rich extracts were stable even after cooking, and that it preserved the quality of chicken meat after six days of storage, according to scientists from the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

"It is safe to say that the processing residue of sea buckthorn juice is a good functional supplement to mechanically deboned meat or hand deboned meat products, guaranteeing inhibition of the oxidation of fatty acids as well as enriching the meat products with plant-derived health-beneficial polyphenols," stated scientist Tonu Pussa.

He added that the optimal 2 percent of berry powder supplement would not worsen the taste, flavour and texture of meat.

The berry extracts, acquired from the juice-free solid residue of the berries, could be a natural alternative to artificial additives.

Using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test as a measure of oxidation, the scientists report a dose-dependent inhibition of the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in turkey and chicken meats. The turkey meat lost about 50 percent of antioxidants from oxidation, while a much smaller loss was observed in the processed chicken meat.

The extract concentration of 2 percent is optimal, as any lesser is insufficient to guarantee complete inhibition of oxidation while a higher content may cause a reduced quality in taste, flavour and texture of the meat, according to the scientists' conclusion.