The Use of Herbal Extracts and Essential Oils as a Potential Antimicrobial in Meat and Meat Products: A review

The production of healthy and high-quality meat and meat products in line with consumers’ demand for natural foods has become a major challenge for the meat production industry. Herbal extracts and essential oils have shown potentially significant antimicrobial effects against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms present in meat products however, they tend to have a limited use due to the intense flavor they add to the products. Nevertheless, advanced technologies can improve the microbial stability and the sensory quality of meat products containing natural extracts and essential oils through different techniques. The present study first reviews the microbial deterioration of meat and meat products and their traditional storage techniques and then discusses the manner and extent of the use of herbal extracts and essential oils in these products.