Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Essential Oils Incorporated in Selected Meat and Meat Products during Refrigerated Storage: A review

Meat and meat products are recognized as excellent sources of nutrients for humans. It is a rich source of lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. They provide a favorable environment for microbial growth. Lipid oxidation and microbial growth are the two main causes of meat deterioration. To preserve meat and meat products consumers nowadays demand nutritious foods that do not include artificial preservatives. Essential oils (EOs) attracted the interest of the food industry to satisfy consumers' demands. EOs are utilized in meat and meat products applications because they are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as compared with synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobial materials. They are aromatic oily liquids produced from different parts of plants such as seeds, leaves, flowers, and roots and are recognized to inhibit both lipid oxidation as well as the growth and survival of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Recently, applications of different types of EOs were introduced in meat and meat products. This article provides a recent overview of the application of selected essential oils and their effects on lipid oxidation and microbial growth of some meat and meat products to improve their quality during refrigeration storage.