Scientific Abstract
Aerobically frozen food-service-style packaged sliced bacon is susceptible to quality deterioration over extended storage time. Pork producers utilize feed rations with varying amounts of polyunsaturated fats depending on management strategies which can create variations in belly iodine value (IV) and fat composition that bacon processors must be mindful of. Rosemary and green tea extracts (RGT) are common natural ingredients used in food products to inhibit the negative effects of lipid oxidation. The antioxidant capacity of RGT has yet to be evaluated in food-service bacon products. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine if RGT could be added directly to bacon curing brines to limit the effects of lipid oxidation over frozen aerobic storage and determine if bacon produced from three different groups of iodine value exhibits differences in lipid oxidation and shelf-life characteristics. Three replications of this experiment were conducted with three whole bellies from each iodine value group (N=9) per replication. Whole bellies were cut in half to yield anterior and posterior halves, randomly assigned to a treatment combination with either the anterior or posterior section receiving the RGT treatment. Bacon curing brines were formulated for a 15% initial brine injection rate and allowed to equilibrate with a target of retaining 12% added solution and consisted of a control (CON) brine or treatment brine with added rosemary and green tea extract (RGT). After bacon processing, bacon slices were randomly assigned to 0, 40, 80, or 120 days of frozen (-17.7 ± 2 °C) aerobic storage for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS), color, and sensory analysis. The interaction between Treatment x IV x Day was insignificant (P > 0.72) for TBARS, and IV main effects were not observed in sensory analysis data (P > 0.05). There were significant (P < 0.05) Treatment x Day interactions for TBARS, bacon aroma, oxidized aroma, bacon flavor, smoke flavor, and oxidized flavor intensities. Food-service bacon manufactured with RGT had lower (P < 0.001) TBARS values over 120 days of frozen storage than CON bacon. The sensory intensity scores for oxidized aroma and oxidized flavor were higher (P <0.01) for CON food-service bacon slices than RGT food-service bacon over storage time. Rosemary and green tea extract in food-service bacon effectively inhibit lipid oxidation products and protects against negative sensory deterioration over time.
