Meat&Poultry - February 2014 - 40

INGREDIENT ESSENTIALS * ADVERTORIAL

Natural Plant Extracts Work in Synergy to Protect
Color and Flavor in Ground Meat
Demand by consumers seeking more
natural ingredients in their food products
has encouraged the U.S. meat and poultry industry to curtail a half-century-plus
reliance on artificial ingredients. This
includes ingredients that delay the onset
of oxidative degradation of lipids, which
is responsible for damaging flavor and
color changes.
Select natural plant extracts contain
both flavor and antioxidant properties
that can assist with extending shelf life;
however, meat forms vary in their response to these interventions. Ground
meat products are especially challenged
because of their comminuted nature,
as grinding causes the oxidation-prone
molecules to be distributed throughout
the meat.
Due to increasing consumer interest in
natural formulations, Kemin, Des Moines,
IA, continues to invest in research to
show processors that its natural plant extracts can protect the quality of ground
meat, both fresh and fresh-frozen products. Manufacturers of the latter, which
is a growing category, must remember
oxidative degradation continues even in
the freezer.
"The fresh-frozen ground meat category is growing in response to fluctuations
conducted by SCS Global Services (SCS),
Emeryville, CA. The remaining fields will
complete the certification process before the 2014 cropping season begins in
March.
"Until then, all unaudited crops are being
kept separate from the audited crops, so
that we are able to market the certification
to our customers who want this commitment from their suppliers," says Dr. Greaves.
SCS Certified Sustainably Grown is one of
the world's most stringent certification standards, supporting long-term sustainable
agricultural production by identifying crops
grown in accordance with environmental
and social responsibility as well as quality
and safety requirements. This certification
signifies that Kemin is able to provide natural rosemary extract-based ingredients to
customers who wish to have a high level of
sustainable agricultural practices validated
and recognized by consumers.
"Our customers can feel assured they are
making a responsible choice by choosing

in raw material prices and seasonal consumer demand, which creates challenges for
ground meat processors to provide a reliable
supply of high-quality products," says Dr.
Justin Green, product manager. "Frozen storage is often used to help spread production
more evenly throughout the year, reducing
the need for seasonal overtime labor."
Kemin has learned through its extensive
research that when combined, rosemary and
green tea extracts work better in combination to protect the color and flavor of ground
meat, as compared to when either ingredient is used on its own. This is because each
extract protects a different form of lipid in
the meat.
The lipids in meat are primarily present in
the form of triglycerides and phospholipids.
Triglycerides comprise the visible fat portion of meat and are the most predominant.
These are nonpolar molecules and require
nonpolar active compounds for protection.
On the other hand, the unsaturated fatty acids in the phospholipids, which are the main
component of cell membranes, are partly
polar molecules, and need more polar active
compounds to get full protection. The phospholipids are especially susceptible to oxidation in ground meat products because the
cell membranes are broken during grinding.
Lipid oxidation, in concert with other degour rosemary extract," says Dr. Justin Green,
product manager. "We can provide third
party audit documentation on our sustainable, vertically integrated production process." No other rosemary supplier can offer
the same.
The food ingredients industry has an
obligation to improve sustainability to the
food supply chain. This certification sets
an important precedent for ingredient
producers.
Kemin's FORTIUM® and EN-FORT™
brands of rosemary extract are recognized
for their ability to conserve the appearance, taste and quality of meat and poultry
products as well as other food matrices.
As consumers continue to demand more
natural products, Kemin continues to invest
in developing more highly functional, natural, plant-based ingredients.
For more information on natural plant
extracts from Kemin, contact:
kftmarketing@kemin.com.

radation processes that can be mitigated
by addition of natural plant extracts, cause
color to deteriorate even while ground
meat is stored frozen. "Thus, it is imperative to protect the entire lipid portion from
oxidation," says Dr. Green. "This requires the
use of both polar and nonpolar antioxidants, which is what you get with Kemin's
proprietary combination of rosemary and
green tea extracts."
Rosemary extract is both a flavor and
source of non-polar active compounds,
while green tea extract contains active
compounds that are more polar. Together
these extracts work in synergy. When
treated on an equal cost basis, the extract
combination is a more effective natural solution than either ingredient alone.

Conclusion:

Improving sustainability is a
continuous process and one that no
single party in the food supply chain
can do alone. Using SCS Certified
Sustainably Grown rosemary
from Kemin not only assists meat
manufacturers with extending
product shelf life, it also reinforces
their sustainability initiatives.
Note: Certain statements may not be
applicable in all geographical regions.
Product labeling and associated claims
may differ upon regional government
regulations.

Meat&Poultry - February 2014

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