In search of substitutes for potentially carcinogenic synthetic preservatives of the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) groups used in meat products, researchers from the Pluridisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) developed an antioxidant capable of inhibiting the proliferation of bacteria of the genus Salmonella. Composed of essential oils extracted from medicinal and aromatic plants, the product can boost poultry production with fewer health risks.
The study that gave rise to the technology emerged from research coordinated by Marta Cristina Duarte, within the scope of a project financed by FAPESP. It also received support from the company Ouro Fino Saúde Animal.
Doctoral student Adriana Figueiredo, under the guidance of Duarte, conducted the analysis of the effectiveness of essential oils to control the proliferation of Salmonella in broilers. And observed positive activity in relation to the combination of essential oils extracted from Thymus vulgaris and Ocimum gratissimum (essential oil blend, or BOE) as antioxidants.
“After all the in vitro effectiveness tests, Adriana started the tests with the blend of essential oils applied to chicken meatballs. This combination in raw meat produced a very favorable antioxidant activity, in addition to effective control against Salmonella”, explains Duarte.
Essential oils can be used as natural preservatives to replace BHT and BHA and circumvent two of the main problems faced by producers to ensure the quality of goods: the proliferation of bacteria such as Salmonella and the durability of highly perishable meat products. The invention has already been proven in chicken meat and will now be analyzed for other types of meat.
The technology is licensed, with the intermediation of the Innovation Agency Inova Unicamp, to Terpenia, a company from São Paulo that receives financial support from FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program (PIPE) and which can carry out the tests with greater progress towards the market. .
“We have made significant progress in production-scale trials, supported by FAPESP, for both the natural antioxidant and the Salmonella proliferation inhibitor. We hope to conclude soon the studies to take the products to the market”, explains Wolney Longhini, from Terpenia.
In the formulation of the natural antioxidant, essential oils are subjected to a process in which they are microencapsulated and transformed into a powder for direct application on meat. The change from oils to powder is made from the combination with polymers, resulting in a less volatile solid product, which facilitates its handling and application.
The technology has already undergone laboratory tests and the same conservation effectiveness of synthetic products was found. The powder from these oils could thus replace synthetic antioxidants, harmful to human health, and be a natural option for food preservation.
*With information from the Unicamp Journal.