Dried Plums Offer Alternative Antioxidants for Beef
US - More Research is on the verge of release which will give further backing to the belief that antioxidant-rich dried plums may be a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives for boneless beef roasts.
26 September 2008
1 minute read
Processed boneless beef roast prepared with a puree of dried plums produced only “marginally detectable differences” in the taste, according to research to be published in an upcoming issue of Meat Science.
Food Navigator reports that the study adds to previous research from the same groups at the University of Oriente in Venezuela and Texas A&M University indicating the potential of the plum ingredients in processed meat products.
Interest is growing in plant-derived food additives as replacements to synthetic antioxidants like butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) to slow down the oxidative deterioration of food.
Indeed, according to Frost and Sullivan, the synthetic antioxidant market is in decline, while natural antioxidants, such as herb extracts (particularly rosemary), tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbates (vitamin C) are growing, pushed by easier consumer acceptance and legal requirements for market access.
The new research, funded by the California Dried Plum Board and Texas AgriLife Research, suggests that purees of dried plum, or dried plum mixed with apple, may be used as food ingredients in ready-to-eat meat products, like roast beef, reports Food Navigator.
Typically, the oxidative deterioration of meat and meat products is caused by the degradation reactions of fats and pigments. Oxidation processes in food can lead to organoleptic deterioration in taste, colour and texture.
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