Two major categories of shelf-life extending ingredients are to improve quality and safety of meat and poultry products. Focus on improving eating quality is primarily to reduce oxidative changes such as lipid oxidation, which can result in off-flavor development, says Ranjith Ramanathan, associate professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater. Several antimicrobials are added to increase shelf life by limiting the growth of spoilage and pathogenic organisms.
For the extension of meat shelf life, a trend toward natural plant extracts such as rosemary, green tea and acerola extract has occurred. These products have been around for several years but are gaining popularity, says Jerrad Legako, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, Texas. For plant extracts, varied antioxidant potency is present, which can aid in maintaining color and preventing off odors by slowing lipid oxidation.