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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363119

Research Project: Assessment and Improvement of Poultry Meat, Egg, and Feed Quality

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Effect of rosemary extract on microbial growth, pH, color, and lipid oxidation in cold plasma-processed ground chicken patties

Author
item GAO, YUE - Suzhou Institute For Advanced Study, Ustc
item Zhuang, Hong
item Yeh, Hung-Yueh
item Bowker, Brian
item ZHANG, JIANHAO - Nanjing Agricultural University

Submitted to: Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2019
Publication Date: 5/15/2019
Citation: Gao, Y., Zhuang, H., Yeh, H., Bowker, B.C., Zhang, J. 2019. Effect of rosemary extract on microbial growth, pH, color, and lipid oxidation in cold plasma-processed ground chicken patties. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. 57:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2019.05.007.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2019.05.007

Interpretive Summary: Chicken breast meat is a rich source of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids and is becoming an important component of the healthy diet. However, each year, it is estimated that 2% to 4% of fresh chicken meat products are lost as a result of microbiological spoilage in the US. Atmospheric cold plasma (CP) is an emerging, green, and non-thermal decontamination technology. Research demonstrates that CP has significant reducting effect on microbial population in both fruits and meat products. Nevertheless, CP treatment also leads to significant lipid oxidation in meat and meat products. Rosemary extract, as a commonly used additive in food, can efficiently reduce lipid oxidation in meat products. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rosemary extract on quality characteristics of CP treated ground chicken breast meat. Our results showed that CP treatment increased lipid oxidation and decreased pH of ground chicken breast meat. Addition of 1% rosemary extract inhibited microbial growth, decreased pH, and increased darkness, redness, and yellowness of the ground meat. In addition, presence of 1% rosemary extract in chicken breast patties was effective in controlling lipid oxidation due to either storage or CP treatment after 5d storage. In conclusion, rosemary is a promising additive for maintaining microbial quality and controlling lipid oxidation of CP-processed ground chicken breast patties.

Technical Abstract: The effects of adding 1% rosemary extract were determined on the microbial growth and quality characteristics of ground chicken breast patties treated with in-package dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) cold plasma (CP). Chicken breast were ground, packaged, and CP-treated at 70 kV for 180 s. Total plate counts, pH, color, and lipid oxidation of the patties were measured at time 0 and day 5 of storage. Cold plasma reduced total plate counts in patties after 5d storage, although there was no significant reduction in 0d patties. Cold plasma treatment increased lipid oxidation and decreased pH. However, there were no negative effects on the appearance of patties indicated with CIE L*a*b* values. Addition of 1% rosemary extract alone also had inhibitory effect on the growth of microbes, decreased pH and L* values, and increased a* and b* values. In addition, presence of 1% rosemary extract in chicken breast patties was effective in controlling lipid oxidation due to either storage or CP treatment after 5d storage. Results of this work show that rosemary is a promising additive for maintaining microbial quality and controlling lipid oxidation of CP-processed ground chicken breast patties.