Development of new active packaging films coated with natural phenolic compounds to improve the oxidative stability of beef

The aim is to develop active packaging films containing natural antioxidants and to evaluate their capacity to enhance the oxidative stability of beef during refrigeration. The antioxidant activity of a natural extract obtained from a brewery residual waste was evaluated and compared with that of a commercial rosemary extract and two synthetic antioxidants (BHT and propyl gallate). Different concentrations of each antioxidant were also added directly to beef samples, resulting in a reduction in lipid oxidation of up to 70-80% relative to the control. Active antioxidant films coated with PVPP-WS extract reduced lipid oxidation by up to 80%, relative to the control, during cold storage. The use of active packaging films containing natural extracts could improve the oxidative stability of meat products and should therefore be of great interest in the food industry. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.