Effect of Antioxidants and Cooking on Stability of n-3 Fatty Acids in Fortified Meat Products

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effect of processing and cooking on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) stability and to determine the efficacy of antioxidants (ANTI) to minimize lipid oxidation in cooked n-3 PUFA-fortified meat products. An emulsion of n-3 PUFAs (25% algal oil) was incorporated into ground turkey, pork sausages, or restructured hams (500 mg n-3 PUFA/110 g meat) with or without an cocktail containing citrate (0.5% w/w), erythorbate (1 g/kg product), and rosemary (0.2% w/w). Ground turkey and pork sausages were frozen 2 d, then cooked to 71 °C, and stored at 4 °C for 2 d. Cooked, restructured hams were sliced, vacuum packaged, and stored at 4 °C, or frozen and thawed with subsequent storage at 4 °C. Treatments were CON (control), n-3 (n-3 PUFAs), CON + ANTI and n-3 + ANTI. Products were analyzed for color, lipid oxidation (TBARS and peroxide values), and n-3 PUFA profile. TBARS of n-3 PUFA-fortified treatments in ground turkey and pork sausages increased with storage (P 0.05). For restructured hams nitrite curing appeared to delay lipid oxidation such that antioxidant treatment effects were unobservable (P > 0.05). Overall recovery of n-3 PUFAs after heat processing was 69% to 85%, and there was no effect of storage on n-3 PUFA concentration in raw or cooked products (P > 0.05). Sensory scores for n-3 treated restructured hams were lower than controls (P < 0.05). Results suggested that cooking resulted in some losses of n-3 PUFAs in fortified meat products and that an cocktail protected against lipid oxidation during subsequent storage in non-cured meat products.