Mexican oregano essential oils as alternatives to butylated hydroxytoluene to improve the shelf life of ground beef

Authors: CANTÚ-VALDÉZ, JESUS - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon; GUTIÉRREZ-SOTO, GUADALUPE - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon; HERNÁNDEZ-MARTÍNEZ, CARLOS - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon; SINAGAWA-GARCÍA, SUGEY - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon; QUINTERO-RAMOS, ARMANDO - Universidad Autonoma De Chihuahua; Hume, Michael; HERRERA-BALANDRANO, DANIELA - Jiangsu Academy Agricultural Sciences; MÉNDEZ-ZAMORA, GERARDO - Universidad Autonoma De Nuevo Leon

Submitted to: Food Science and Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/17/2020
Publication Date: 7/8/2020
Citation: Cantú-Valdéz, J.A., Gutiérrez-Soto, G., Hernández-Martínez, C.A., Sinagawa-García, S.R., Quintero-Ramos, A., Hume, M.E., Herrera-Balandrano, D.D., Méndez-Zamora, G. 2020. Mexican oregano essential oils as alternatives to butylated hydroxytoluene to improve the shelf life of ground beef. Food Science and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1767.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1767

Interpretive Summary: There is a trend towards substituting natural antioxidants as alternatives to synthetic chemical treatments for preservation of meat products. Essential oils from two Mexican oregano varieties, Lippia berlandieri Schauer (LBS) and Poliomintha longiflora Gray (PLG), were tested against the synthetic antioxidant and preservative butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) to evaluate effects on shelf life of ground beef (GB) over 7 d of storage at 4°C. All treatments were compared against untreated control ground beef. Meat lightness of color was improved by treatment with LBS, while meat redness was best preserved by treatment with BHT and PLG. Cooked control meat was softer, a bit more tender, and springier than meat samples treated with the oils and BHT. Cooked treated meats were only slightly more acidic than the control meats, which was likely due to the acidity of the oils and BHT. Bacterial counts increased for all treatments by day 7; however, bacterial counts for all four groups were similar at day 7. Antioxidant capacity of BHT was better than the other treatments throughout the experiment. At day 7, raw ground beef sensory attributes for color, odor, brightness, and firmness, as accessed by a consumer panel, showed no differences between the four treatments. The results demonstrated oregano oils can be used for ground beef preservation and presented similar results for consumer preference as did untreated and BHT-treated meats. These results are of interest to researchers and producers seeking natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives to enhance meat quality and control bacterial contamination of stored ground beef.

Technical Abstract: Oregano essential oils from Lippia berlandieri Schauer (LBS) and Poliomintha longiflora Gray (PLG) were tested against the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) to evaluate effects on the shelf life of ground beef (GB) over 7 d of storage at 4°C. The treatments were T1 = GB control, T2 = GB + 100 mg/kg of BHT, T3 = GB + 100 mg/kg of LBS, and T4 = GB + 100 mg/kg of PLG. Lightness, redness, hardness, and springiness showed differences (P < 0.05) between treatments and days interaction. The pH of cooked meat was affected (P < 0.05) by addition of LBS, PLG, and BHT. Mesophilic, psychrophilic, and lactic acid bacteria numbers and antioxidant activity showed differences (P < 0.05) for treatments and days. Sensory attributes showed no differences between treatments. The results demonstrated oregano oils can be used for ground beef preservation and presented similar effects to those of BHT.