Enhancing the Quality and Shelf-Life of Beef Burgers With Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica) Extract During Refrigerated Storage

Background: The growing demand for clean-label meat products has intensified interest in plant-derived antioxidants as alternatives to synthetic preservatives. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of chia seed (Salvia hispanica) extract (CSE) as a natural antioxidant to enhance quality attributes and extend the refrigerated shelf-life of beef burgers stored at 4 °C for 15 days. Methods: Five beef burger formulations were prepared: a negative control without antioxidants (T0), a positive control containing a synthetic antioxidant (SET), and three treatments incorporating CSE at 0.5% (T1), 1.0% (T2), and 1.5% (T3). Chia seed extract was characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which identified gallic acid, caffeic acid, and quercetin as major phenolic constituents. Burgers were assessed for lipid oxidation (TBARS), water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking yield, shrinkage, texture profile attributes, and color stability throughout storage. Results: CSE supplementation markedly reduced lipid oxidation, with the T3 formulation showing the lowest TBARS value (0.28 mg MDA/kg) at day 15 compared with the control (1.27 mg MDA/kg) (p < 0.05). CSE-treated burgers exhibited improved WHC, reflected in higher cooking yield (91.27%) and reduced shrinkage. Texture profile analysis revealed better retention of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience across storage. Additionally, CSE preserved color stability by mitigating reductions in L* and a* values. These enhancements are attributed to the antioxidant activity of chia phenolics, which inhibit lipid peroxidation and protein degradation. Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of chia seed extract as a natural antioxidant in beef burgers. CSE—particularly at 1.5%—effectively improved oxidative stability, texture, and overall storage quality, demonstrating its potential as a clean-label alternative to synthetic antioxidants in meat preservation.