The Effectiveness of Preservatives Used in Meat Production

In order to store meat products for a long period of time, to maintain their quality and safety, meat producing companies use preservatives and antioxidants, which prove to be quite effective. However, they constitute some threat for the consumer. Various types of preservatives are used in meat processing companies in Georgia: “BOMBAL® ASC Super“, „BAKSOLAN-4”, “Standard Conservative”, “Standard Conservative Plus” and others. All of them represent a complex additive obtained through a chemical synthesis. For example, “BOMBAL ACS SUPER” is a mixture of three chemicalcompounds: Sodium Pyrosulphite (Е223), Sodium Acetate (Е262), and Sodium Citrate (Е331). There is a high probability of causing problems to digestive system, kidneys, and cardiovascular system, as well as allergic reactions when these conservatives get into a human organism. Consequently, it is essential to study the possibilities of much safer herbal conservatives usage. It is well known that many species of plants, such as ginger, rosemary, oregano (Origanum vulgare L), thyme (Thýmus), pennyroyal(Mentha pulegium), garlic and others possess antimicrobial and antioxidant qualities. These plants are wide-spread in a natural habitat in Georgia and are cultivated in the country as well. As it appears, the use of these herbs as conservatives in sausage making as well as other meat products will significantly reduce the risk of disease in customers. We find that a scientific research in this field has a lot of prospect.