The Effect of Blueberries on the Oxidative Stability of Pork Meatloaf During Chilled Storage

In the present study, the possibility of using blueberries in order to protect pork meatloaf against oxidation during storage was examined. To this end, the antioxidant effect of blueberries in meatloaf has been investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method and 2-thiobarbituric acid method. During the experiment, meatloaf with normal and lowered content of fat (12.5% of initial fat was replaced with fiber) was tested. The results have shown that the antioxidant activity is higher in the samples with the addition of blueberries than in the ones without these additives. Moreover, the samples with blueberries possess lower degree of lipid peroxidation during storage than the control sample. This indicates the protective effect of blueberries on the oxidative stability (storage quality) of pork meatloaf. Furthermore, fat content reduction by adding of fiber did increase slightly the antioxidant status of the sample with blueberries, but did not affect thiobarbituric acid reagent substances values. Practical ApplicationsVarious methods have been applied to protect meat-derived products from oxidation. Addition of different fruit extracts possessing high antioxidant activity can provide a good way of reducing the rate of oxidation changes in the products during storage. These functional additives provide not only a new sensory quality to food, but also some beneficial health effects to consumers. A great number of recent studies has shown a significant impact of plant extract on the lowering risks of coronary heart diseases or various cancer types. The present study demonstrates that blueberry addition to meatloaf lowers the rate of oxidation of the product, which influences the overall quality of meatloaf during storage.