Effects of a Biobased Antioxidant Gel on Meat Shelf-Life: Oxidative Stability and Color as Quality Parameters

Oxidative stress is one of the main factors affecting food stability; therefore, antioxidant additives are generally used as food supplements for shelf-life improvement. In this work, the use of an antioxidant gel based on natural polysaccharides was tested on different types of meat, such as hamburger, beef steak, and horse fillet. The oxidative stability was measured on minced meat by Oxitest reactor, an automated tool performing accelerated shelf-life analysis by monitoring the fat oxidation process. The primary and secondary shelf-life of the gel was evaluated by DPPH assay. The effect of the gel on meat shelf-life was examined by colorimetry providing information about the color variation (∆E) during time. Treated meats showed lower color variation compared to untreated samples. Moreover, some color coordinates were selected as markers to follow the oxidation phenomenon. In conclusion, the antioxidant gel was found to preserve meat from oxidation, increasing stability during shelf-life.