Effect of organic acids and plant extracts as natural preservatives in chicken sausages

Abstract:

What happens when synthetic preservatives fall out of consumer favour in the very products that need them most? Chicken sausages are particularly prone to microbial spoilage, yet shoppers increasingly reject nitrites and synthetic antioxidants. This research examined whether acetic acid and oregano leaf extract, alone or together, could safeguard chicken sausages during refrigerated storage. Four treatment groups were prepared: a control with no added preservative, T₁ with 1.5% acetic acid, T₂ with 2.0% aqueous oregano extract, and T₃ with the combination of both. Samples were vacuum-packaged and stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 21 days. Microbial load, pH, TBARS values, and sensory scores were tracked at seven-day intervals. The combined treatment restricted total viable counts to 5.13 log CFU/g on day 21 against 8.91 log CFU/g in the control, an improvement of 3.78 log units. Lipid oxidation, measured as malondialdehyde, was 63.2% lower in T₃ than in the control on day 14. Coliforms remained undetectable in T₃ throughout storage. Sensory panel ratings for flavour and overall acceptability stayed above the rejection threshold until day 21 only in T₃. These outcomes point to the practical value of pairing a modest dose of acetic acid with oregano extract for clean-label meat preservation, with direct relevance for small-scale processors in Mediterranean climate regions.