Essential oils as natural additives in dry-fermented sausages

Abstract

The usage of food additives is one of the key methods for inhibiting microorganisms' growth and delaying oxidative changes in dry-fermented sausages (DFS). However, they have numerous negative health effects, so the novel meat industry is oriented towards different natural alternatives while focusing on plant extracts, including essential oils (EOs). EOs are interesting since they are generally recognized as safe (marked as GRAS) and have a broad acceptance from the consumers. Their activity depends on numerous parameters including the method of extraction, concentrations and possible synergistic effects of their bioactive compounds. Various conventional (hydrodistillation and organic solvent extraction) and novel (microwave-assisted, ultrasound-assisted and supercritical fluid extraction) extraction techniques are being applied for EO recovery, and optimization of these process is an essential step towards cost-effective production of high-quality extracts. Generally, it can be concluded that EOs are added into DFS to delay or prevent lipid oxidation, retard microorganisms' growth, improve colour stability and extend the shelf-life.