ROSEMARY EXTRACT AS A NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT IN BEEF PATTIES DURING FROZEN STORAGE

Increasing consumer demand for healthier, clean-label meat products has driven the replacement of synthetic additives with natural alternatives. Lipid oxidation is a major cause of quality deterioration in meat products, compromising nutritional value, sensory attributes, and shelf life. Due to its high phenolic content, rosemary extract has attracted attention as a natural antioxidant. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of rosemary extracts on lipid oxidation in beef patties. Four treatments were prepared: CON (control without antioxidants), ERY (0.05% sodium erythorbate, synthetic antioxidant), and two formulations containing rosemary extract in powder (ALEP: 0.9%) and liquid (ALEL: 0.4%) forms. Lipid oxidation was evaluated in raw and cooked beef patties on days 0, 30, 60, and 90 during frozen storage using the TBARS assay. Oxidation levels were quantified based on a malondialdehyde standard curve and expressed as mg malondialdehyde/kg of sample. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model (ANOVA), and mean values were compared using Tukey's test (p<0.05). Lipid oxidation in raw beef patties was significantly affected by treatment and storage time. CON showed the highest TBARS values (0.503 mg MDA/kg), whereas ALEP exhibited the lowest (0.225 mg MDA/kg), with antioxidant effects comparable to ALEL (0.286 mg MDA/kg). Lipid oxidation increased throughout frozen storage, reaching the highest values on days 60 and 90. In cooked patties, a significant treatment-by-storage interaction was observed, with progressive oxidation over time. The highest TBARS value was found in CON on day 90 (0.673 mg MDA/kg), while rosemary extract treatments showed lower oxidation (ALEP: 0.356 mg MDA/kg; ALEL: 0.408 mg MDA/kg). These results suggest that the phenolic compounds in rosemary effectively scavenged free radicals and delayed lipid oxidation, with the powdered extract showing slightly greater antioxidant protection, likely due to its higher stability and phenolic retention during processing and storage. Rosemary extracts, particularly in powder form, effectively delayed lipid oxidation in raw and cooked beef patties during frozen storage, showing antioxidant performance comparable to or even greater than that of the synthetic antioxidant. These findings support their potential as clean-label alternatives for improving the oxidative stability of meat products.