Coffee Extract as a Natural Antioxidant in Fresh Pork Sausage-A Model Approach

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Food Technology

Background:

• Growing consumer demand for natural food additives.
• Need for effective synthetic antioxidant replacements in processed meats.
• Potential of coffee extracts as a source of natural antioxidants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize coffee extraction for maximum bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.
• To evaluate the efficacy of coffee extracts as natural antioxidants in fresh pork sausage.
• To assess the impact of coffee extracts on the sensory attributes of pork sausage.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasound-assisted extraction of coffee beans (Robusta and Arabica, green and roasted).
• Optimization using Central Composite Rotatable Design (2^3) for extraction parameters.
• Analysis of bioactive compounds (caffeine, 5-CQA) and antioxidant activity.
• Application of optimized coffee extracts in fresh pork sausage and storage stability assessment (malonaldehyde content).
• Sensory evaluation of pork sausage with coffee extract addition.

Main Results:

• Optimized extraction yielded higher bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.
• Robusta green (RG) coffee extract showed significantly higher caffeine and 5-CQA content.
• RG and Robusta roasted (RR) coffee extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant activity.
• RG coffee extract effectively replaced synthetic antioxidants in pork sausage, maintaining stability below 0.696 mg/kg malonaldehyde for 20 days.
• Sensory attributes of pork sausage remained high (average scores > 7.16).

Conclusions:

• Optimized coffee extracts, especially from Robusta green beans, are effective natural antioxidants.
• RG coffee extract can successfully replace synthetic antioxidants in fresh pork sausage.
• Coffee extracts maintain the sensory quality of meat products.
• Coffee extracts represent a viable natural alternative for food preservation.