Natural ingredient preserves meat quality in precooked supermarket offerings

Grape-seed extract is a viable natural alternative to synthetic ingredients that preserve meat quality in pre-cooked, frozen and refrigerated ready-to-eat meals, such as individual diet entrees or family-sized trays of frozen lasagna, according to a new University of Illinois study published in the Journal of Food Science.

“In the last five years, the section of the supermarket that contains fully cooked, ready-to-eat products has grown tremendously as consumer demand for convenience foods has increased. I’d estimate that 10 percent of all meals served at home feature these foods,” said Susan Brewer, a U of I professor of food science.

For years, the food industry has been using synthetic ingredients--BHA, BHT, and TBHQ--to preserve the quality of meats in precooked foods by slowing the oxidation of fats. But Brewer’s study shows that a natural product may be an even more effective antioxidant.

That product, grape-seed extract, is a byproduct of fermentation, and its efficacy is due mainly to its phenolic compounds, she said.

“We’ve known for years that certain natural compounds, including some herbs and spices, have powerful antioxidant activity. Food scientists have been trying to isolate the flavoring parts of these spices from the components that have the functional effects we’re looking for,” she said.

Brewer was frankly skeptical when a study to determine the effectiveness of grape-seed extract in preserving the quality of pre-cooked meats was suggested to her.

“But we’ve done three studies in a row now, and I’m a believer,” she said.

Brewer and her graduate student Martha Rojas compared the natural antioxidants oregano, rosemary, and grape-seed extract in a study that evaluated their effectiveness in cooked, reheated beef and pork at different concentrations, for different lengths of time, and at different temperatures.

The meat was then evaluated for oxidative markers and sensory attributes by a 10-member panel. “The higher concentration of grape-seed extract yielded better results than we see with synthetics, which is certainly not what you’d expect. Synthetics, after all, have been engineered to maximize effectiveness, but sometimes Mother Nature comes up with a better product.”

Another plus was that the sensory panel couldn’t detect grape-seed extract in the products it tested, whereas foods containing oregano and rosemary retained an herbal odor. “They must be carrying some of the volatile aroma compounds at low levels,” the researcher said.

Studies are ongoing in Brewer’s lab, this time comparing the efficacy and sensory qualities of natural versus synthetic antioxidants.

“I really think grape-seed extract is a viable, natural way to preserve meat quality in the precooked entrees that are so popular now,” she said. “And, when companies can use the word natural on a label, it’s attractive to consumers. It takes some of the guilt out of using a convenience food.”

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Related stories:

Freeing protein-based drugs from bacteria's natural traps
In a finding that could speed the development of new protein-based drugs for fighting diabetes, hepatitis, and other diseases, researchers are reporting progress toward preventing or destroying an unusual structure that reduces the production yield of bioengineered drugs. The article is scheduled for the Oct. 13 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
Natural Viagra? 'Horny goat weed' shows promise in lab studies
Move over, Viagra! Researchers in Italy report that an ancient Chinese herbal remedy known as "horny goat weed" shows potential in lab studies as source for new future drugs to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The study, which provides scientific evidence supporting the herb's well-known use as a natural aphrodisiac, is scheduled for the October 24 issue of ACS' Journal of Natural Products.
Counting the cost of pesticide resistance
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the Beef CRC have developed a new test which could help producers minimise acaricide resistance in cattle ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus).
New method for manufacturing radio isotopes
Thanks to a newly-developed technology at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, global shortages of radio isotopes for cancer diagnosis could be a thing of the past. This is the message from Prof. Bert Wolterbeek of Delft University of Technology's Reactor Institute Delft (RID) in an article in university journal Delta.
New process extracts pure hydrogen from contaminant in unrefined oil
A commercial-scale process to extract and reuse pure hydrogen from the hydrogen sulfide that naturally contaminates unrefined oil, including oil sands, is one step closer to reality thanks to a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (KPM) of Kingston, Ontario.
Duke chemists synthesize promising anti-cancer product
Duke University chemists have patented an efficient technique for synthesizing a marine algae extract in sufficient quantities to now test its ability to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells while leaving normal cells unaffected.
Turning Waste Material into Ethanol
(PhysOrg.com) -- Say the word “biofuels” and most people think of grain ethanol and biodiesel. But there’s another, older technology called gasification that’s getting a new look from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. By combining gasification with high-tech nanoscale porous catalysts, they hope to create ethanol from a wide range of biomass, including distiller’s grain left over from ethanol production, corn stover from the field, grass, wood pulp, animal waste, and garbage.
Distinguishing between 2 birds of a feather
The bird enthusiast who chronicled the adventures of a flock of red-headed conures in his book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" knows most of the parrots by name, yet most of us would be hard pressed to tell one bird from another. While it has been known for a long time that we can become acutely attuned to our day-to-day environment, the underlying neural mechanism has been less clear.

News discussion:

General Science news