Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. Natural antioxidants extracted from plants have a lot of antioxidants catechins, epigallocatechins (green tea) rosmariquinone, rosmaridiphenol (rosemary), capsaicinoids (red pepper). They can be used as alternatives to the synthetic antioxidants because of their equivalence or greater effect on inhibition of lipid oxidation and haem pigment (nitrosohemachrome) protection. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of addition of green tea extract, red pepper extract and rosemary extract while curing process on colour and lipid stability during refrigerated storage of meat products.

Material and methods. The pork meat was ground (10 mm plate) and divided into four equal parts. To the first part (control sample – C) was added curring mixture in amount of 2.2% in a ratio of meat dissolved in water. To the rests of parts were added the same curring mixtures in the same proportion dissolved in 0.5% water plant extracts: green tea (GT), red pepper (P), rosemary (R) respectively. All samples were left at 4°C for 24 hours. After curing, samples were stuffed in casings and then heated in water until a final internal temperature of 70°C was reached. All samples were stored up to 30 days at 4°C. Analysis of acidity, oxidation – reduction potential, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), surface colour (Hunter L*, a* and b* values) were measured directly after production and after 10, 20 and 30 days of chilling storage.

Results. The addition of the plant extracts (pepper, green tea, rosemary) to the pork meat samples does not change significantly acidity of the samples during chilling storage. All plants extracts effectively reduce lipid oxidation in cooked pork meat compared to the control. Pepper extract was effective in maintaining redness because of its reduction activity (low potential redox value in sample) and low TBARS values in sample during chilling storage.

Conclusions. Addition of pepper extract and green tea extract in curing meat process helped with nitrosomyoglobin formation and curb prevention of metmyoglobin formation which stabilized the colour of product during chilling storage.