The use of some herbs for improving the refrigerated storage stability of minced camel meat

Improving the quality of minced camel meat by adding 3% w/w of marjoram, rosemary and sage powder were investigated during refrigerated storage. Minced camel meat stored at 5°C and analyzed periodically for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), the count of total aerobic bacteria, total coliform bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, yeast and moulds. The sensory attributes during 12 days of storage period were also investigated. Total phenols in three herbs were also determined. Marjoram and rosemary were found to have higher content of total phenols (4143 and 4104 mg/ 100g, respectively) than sage (3404 mg/ 100g). All tested herbs significantly reduced the TBARS values compared to control after 5 and 12 days with acceptable values (less than 1.0 mg maloaldhyde/100g) and enhanced the sensory attributes. Marjoram reduced the total aerobic bacteria by one log cycle compared to rosemary and sage. The count of yeast and moulds attained the lowest count in marjoram than other treated samples all over the storage period. Marjoram showed the most antimicrobial activity than other tested herbs and may offer a promising choice in food safety and preservation.