Meat oxidation - mechanisms and influence on quality and safety of meat products

Abstract

Meat is a foodstuff liable to (per)oxidation by different mechanisms including free radical and enzyme-catalyzed processes. Meat oxidation starts with lipids and heme and continues also with proteins. Oxidation that produces different undesirable chemical substances, such as leukotoxin diols, aldehydes, carbonylated amino acids, has significant influence on various quality and safety parameters of meat. Meat oxidation is favored by shortage of antioxidants in feed, high content of PUFAs and high comminution rate of meat, heat and light during processing, high pressure processing etc. Meat oxidation can be reduced by antioxidant supplements in feed and during processing, low temperatures, special packagings etc.

Keywords

• meat
• (per)oxidation
• mechanisms
• products
• quality and safety
• prevention