Among natural antioxidants, phenolic antioxidants are in the forefront as they are widely distributed in the plant kingdom (Wettasinghe and Shahidi 1999).
Phenolic antioxidants are reported to quench oxygen-derived free radicals as well as the substrate-derived free radicals by donating a hydrogen atom or an electron to the free radical (Wanasundara and Shahidi 1996).
The antioxidant properties of the herbs described above are related to their contents in those phenolic molecules.
The purpose of this study was to determine if natural antioxidants rosemary, oregano, and borage, alone or in combination with vitamin C, were effective in delaying lipid and myoglobin oxidation in beef patties packaged in modified atmosphere, thus prolonging their shelf life.