Antioxidants: Reviewing the chemistry, food applications, legislation and role as preservatives

Abstract

Background: Food antioxidants play a critical role in the food industry, and have become one of the most widespread methods of conserving food. Their cheapness and ease of use have made them a part of virtually all foodstuffs. Although different, all groups of food antioxidants have a same common objective, to conserve food for the longest possible time without altering it, conferring taste or color. Consumer trends have shifted the industry to find natural antioxidants for conservation, and although synthetic additives have been the mainstream, their natural counterparts have been gaining interest. Scope and approach: This review focuses of the different antioxidant groups, describing their properties, function and applicability, as well as indexing the relevant legislation in order to be a guide for academia and industry. Key findings and conclusions: The wide number of antioxidant additives allowed by the different countries if of synthetic origin, and consist of pure molecules. Although consumers are leaning toward natural additives, this offer is still quite limited despite the permission of rosemary extract within the European Union. There is still much work to be done in order to completely demystify the importance and safety of antioxidants as well as to harmonize legislation worldwide.

Ginger essential oil and supercritical extract as natural antioxidants in tilapia fish burger

“…However, their use has been questioned due to health concerns, such as allergies, hyperactivity (Polonio & Peres, 2009), and cancer development (Botterweck, Verhagen, Goldbohm, Kleinjans, & van den Brandt, 2000). Consumers have been looking for a healthier diet with more natural ingredients, encouraging the research for natural antioxidants in order to replace synthetic ones (Carocho, Morales, & Ferreira, 2018;Mariutti & Bragagnolo, 2009). …”

Evaluation of Pulp Browning in Minimally Processed 'Royal Gala' Apple Treated With Erythorbic Acid

“…The reddish tint observed in apples treated with LC is possibly due to the regeneration of phenolic compounds; this occurs when low concentrations of this antioxidant are used (Martins et al, 2015). However, the satisfactory effect observed with EA 3 % can be attributed to its strong reducing properties (Carocho et al, 2018), since this compound can react with oxygen and thus remove it from a closed system (Lee et al, 2012), avoiding the darkening of the pulp.…”

Critical evaluation of the extrapolation of data relative to antioxidant function from the laboratory and their implications on food production and human health: a review

“…Food manufacturers use food‐grade antioxidants to prevent quality deterioration of products, and to maintain their nutritional value (Shahidi, ). Food antioxidants play a significant role in the food industry and have become one of the most widespread methods for food preservation (Carocho et al ., ). Antioxidants are often added to foodstuffs for their ion or hydrogen donating, metal chelating and chain breaking capabilities (Carocho et al ., ).…”