New market perspectives using herbs and berries
in organic meat production (BERRYMEAT)
The aim of the project is to extend the range of organic meat products by introducing new interesting flavour variants. The novelty is to utilize herbs and berries for biological preservation and to provide the products with a new and interesting flavour profile and appearance.
The researchers will study how ecological consumers relate to a new preservation technology in the form of berries and herbs. They will also study how the consumers relate to the new products by form of berries and herbs and how the consumers relate to the new products by produce the cultivars, which are to be screened for anti-microbial activity and favourable flavour characteristics in meat products. Furthermore, they will optimize cultivation and storage conditions, preserving the desired characteristics after harvest in the best possible way.
They will also combine the selected berries and herbs to obtain the best result. The work includes an investigation of how berries and herbs should be added to the meat products and it must be clarified how different raw materials and meat processing affect the anti-microbial activity. The results will be validated at test productions at the two participating plants.
Finally, we will document that the selected berries and herbs can guarantee food safety and favourable eating quality throughout the entire shelf-life. Economic estimates for total production costs will be made.
Summary: Progress and activities in 2011:
The novelty of the project is to exploit the natural antimicrobial compounds from
the herbs and berries, avoiding the use of chemicals and at the same time develop
meat products with an interesting and exiting taste and flavor.
From a broad range of herbs and berries, primarily of Nordic origin, a number of
species will be selected and examined for antimicrobial effect and good taste in
meat products. The project intends to combine up to 3 species in a meat product in
order to obtain an optimal effect and taste. It is also important to demonstrate in
which form the herbs and berries should be added to the meat product, i.e. as a
powder, as a juice or as the whole berry. And furthermore, it must be documented how the other components of the meat product (fat, protein salt and pH) and the production process itself interact with the added herbs and berries. This is necessary to know, in order to produce the new meat products in an industrial scale. In parallel, investigations concerning how to grow, prepare and store the selected herbs and berries are carried out to secure and maintain an optimal antimicrobial activity in the selected herbs and berries for at least one year, as they can only be harvested once a year.
In 2011 a consumer survey was carried out. In general, the consumers were very
positive of the idea of using the natural compounds from herbs and berries for
preservation of meat products. Most of the consumers are fully prepared to try the
new organic meat products, provided they have a good taste and flavour!
So far, the project has investigated the antimicrobial effect of 36 different herbs
and berries. For many of these also different variants of the plant were examined.
15 of the investigated herbs and berries were found to be inhibitory to several bacteria. From these 15 herbs and berries, and based on
other factors as consumer acceptance, short term availability, expected production
costs and the ability of organic large scale production, 8 herbs and berries were
selected for further studies in the project.
Project leader
Flemming Hansen
Danish Technology Institute
Maglegaardsvej 2
DK-4000 Roskilde
Tel: (+45) 72 20 26 03
E-mail: fh@teknologisk.dk
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