Ascorbic Acid-Based Oxygen Scavenger in Active Food Packaging System for Raw Meatloaf.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Traditional iron-based oxygen scavengers present limitations.
• Developing effective and safe oxygen scavengers is crucial for food preservation.
• Nonferrous oxygen scavengers (NFOS) offer potential advantages in food packaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a nonferrous oxygen scavenger (NFOS) for raw meatloaf preservation.
• To evaluate the efficacy of NFOS in inhibiting lipid oxidation and microbial growth.
• To determine the optimal formulation of activated carbon and sodium l-ascorbate for NFOS.

Main Methods:

• NFOS formulations with varying ratios of activated carbon and sodium l-ascorbate were prepared.
• Oxygen-scavenging capacity was measured over time at different temperatures.
• Meatloaves packaged with NFOS were analyzed for microbiological changes and lipid oxidation (TBARS).

Main Results:

• The optimal NFOS formulation was determined to be a 1:1.6 ratio (w/w) of activated carbon to sodium l-ascorbate.
• NFOS significantly reduced oxygen levels in packaged meatloaves.
• Meatloaves packaged with NFOS exhibited lower levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced microbial counts.

Conclusions:

• An ascorbic acid-based NFOS composed of activated carbon and sodium l-ascorbate is effective in preserving meatloaves.
• This NFOS inhibits lipid oxidation and microbial proliferation, extending shelf life.
• The developed NFOS is a promising packaging material for protecting meat products.