Naturex has expanded its portfolio of natural solutions for shelf life extension with a range of new cherry-based antioxidants and curing enhancers for meat & poultry products.
Naturally packed with organic acids that aid food preservation, the acerola cherry-derived ingredients open up new opportunities for natural preservation solutions in the meat & poultry industry.
Acerola Cherry 17 offers natural oxygen-scavenging properties that protect meat pigments from oxidation, which means it can be used in all types of raw and cooked meat products to improve color stability. Acerola Cherry 17 can also be used as a curing accelerator in cured meats.
Naturex has also developed XtraBlend RA, an antioxidant that combines acerola with rosemary extract to create a powerful synergistic blend that protects both color and flavor in meat products. Containing standardized active compounds, this innovative blend demonstrates remarkable efficacy when used in raw meat.
The third ingredient in the new range is Acerola Cherry 36, which contains more naturally occurring vitamin C – 36-38% – than any other acerola powder available on the market. It is also free from carrier compounds.
Naturex will unveil the new range at the IFT Food Expo, which takes place in New Orleans from 22-24 June 2014. Naturex, exhibiting on Booth 2829, will showcase the efficacy of the new ingredients in an All-Natural Jamaican Jerk Beef Jerky concept product that has been preserved with a completely natural ingredient system.
Free of sodium nitrite, the beef jerky has been cured with Naturex’s vegetable powder Swiss Chard 3, enhanced with Acerola Cherry 17. The beef jerky has been further protected with Naturex’s StabilEnhance OSR rosemary extract, which helps to maintain flavor freshness throughout the shelf life of the product.
Baptiste Demur, Business Manager at Naturex, said: “There is big demand for natural ingredients in the meat & poultry industry that offer technical benefits, and Naturex’s R&D focus on acerola cherry has opened up a world of opportunities in food preservation. Our new cherry-based ingredients provide high levels of efficacy while allowing meat & poultry companies to achieve consumer-friendly labels. These optimized natural antioxidants and curing accelerators provide exciting and effective options that cover needs of the entire meat industry, in both the fresh and cured meat categories.”