Surface oxidation of raw and processed meat is one of the major concerns faced in the meat industry. This can be controlled only by topical application of anti-oxidants to the meat. However natural anti-oxidant solutions like rosemary extracts pose a major challenge as it affects the visual appearance of meat. This is due to the presence of lipid soluble compounds such as Carotenoids and Xanthophylls in the extracts that immediately integrate with the fats, tinting it yellowish-brown. This colouration misleads the consumers into thinking that meat is oxidised or stale, when in reality it is still fresh and palatable. Fresh raw meat is preferred to retain a bright red colour and any yellow colouration will be considered as oxidation or spoilage.
Kancor has come up with a unique solution for this. With their proprietary technology, Kancor has developed Oxikan R, a unique highly refined natural rosemary based anti-oxidant solution. OxiKan R is a highly refined enriched extract of selective anti-oxidant rosemary molecules with excellent oil solubility, and has very low colour and odour impact on meat applications. The water dispersible variant is available as OxiKan WD.
To further understand the impact of OxiKan on the meat colour, Kancor has conducted a colour impact application study on beef fat. It was observed that unlike commercial rosemary extracts, OxiKan R & OxiKan WD, being highly refined extracts, do not have any visible impact on the meat colour.