Comparison of spice-derived antioxidants and metal chelators on fresh beef color stability

Effects of Type I antioxidants eugenol and rosmarinic acid were compared to those of Type II antioxidants milk mineral (MM), sodium tripolyphosphpate (STPP), and phytate in raw ground beef held for 14 days at 4 °C in oxygen-permeable polyvinylchloride. Meat color stability was measured as % oxymyoglobin, Hunter a∗ value, chroma, and hue angle. Significant correlations (P < 0.0001) were observed between all color measurement methods. By day 14, STPP-treated patties lost more red color (P < 0.05 for a∗ and hue angle) and had higher thiobarbituric acid values than other treatments. By day 14, MM was as effective as eugenol and rosmarinate at preventing oxymyoglobin oxidation (72, 76, and 71% retained, respectively) and red color loss as measured by a∗ (9.2, 9.4, and 10.9), hue angle (58.4, 56.2, and 53.5), and chroma (17, 17, and 18), but was unable to inhibit microbial growth as effectively as the spice-derived antioxidants.