Going on the methods used for Extending the food shelf life by aid of Natural antioxidants

The Meat products types are highly nutritious foods, as they are sources of the proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Due to their chemical characteristics and modifications resulting from processing, the meat products types are very susceptible to oxidation and microbial contamination, which justifies the use of the various food additives, such as antioxidants and preservatives, represented mainly by synthetic compounds whose consumption is related to several health risk factors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to replace these substances, and bioactive phytochemicals appear as a promising alternative. In this chapter, we discuss various aspects related to the use of natural antioxidants in the meat products types, comprehending the chemical composition of the meat and its derivatives, their oxidative processes, the toxic compounds due to oxidation, the use of natural antioxidants, and the other observed effects of isolated compounds, extracts, and essential oils, such as the antimicrobial activity, demonstrating their potential in reducing the use of the synthetic food additives.