The Meat products are highly nutritious foods, as they are sources of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Due to their chemical characteristics and modifications resulting from processing, the meat products are very
susceptible to oxidation and microbial contamination, which justifies the use of various food additives, such
as antioxidants and preservatives, represented mainly by synthetic compounds whose consumption is related
to several health risk factors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to replace these substances, and bioactive
phytochemicals appear as a promising alternative. In this chapter, we discuss various aspects related to the
use of natural antioxidants in the meat products, comprehending the chemical composition of the meat and its
derivatives, their oxidative processes, the toxic compounds due to oxidation, the use of natural antioxidants, and
the other observed effects of isolated compounds, extracts, and essential oils, such as the antimicrobial activity,
demonstrating their potential in reducing the use of the synthetic food additives. |
