To retard or minimize oxidative deterioration of meat, antioxidants may be added. Synthetic antioxidants have long been used in a variety of foods, but their use has come into dispute due to suspected carcinogenic potential (Chen et al., 1992 and Imaida et al., 1983) and the general rejection of synthetic food additives by consumers. There is, therefore, a growing interest in the characterization of natural antioxidants.