Natural antioxidant extract from galangal (Alpinia galanga) for minced beef

Raw and cooked minced beef samples containing commercial antioxidants or ga langal (Alpinia galanga) extract were evaluated for storage stability at 4/-1 degrees C. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of raw and cooked samples c ontaining galangal extract at 5 and 10% (w/w) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the controls. In raw beef, galangal extract at 10% (w/ w) was as effective as or-tocopherol at 0.10% (w/w) and butylated hydroxyto luene (BHT) at 0.02% (w/w) in inhibiting/ minimising lipid oxidation, Galan gal extract also delayed the induction period of lipid oxidation in cooked beef but was again observed to be effective at a higher concentration than the commercial antioxidants studied. No difference in total plate count was observed in raw beef, but samples with galangal extract had higher Hunter a (redness) and chroma (colourfulness relative to the brightness of the sur roundings) values. However, cooked beef treated with galangal extract or an tioxidants had lower Hunter a values and total microbial counts than the co ntrol. Thus galangal extract may be a possible natural antioxidant source f or meat and meat products. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.