Natural preservatives in meat products

The use of preservatives in industrial food production is now common practice. However, there is growing concern among consumers over the harmful effects of common chemical preservatives. As a result, there is increased demand for food that that has undergone little or no processing. In recent years, there has therefore been great interest in finding alternatives to chemical preservatives for use in the meat industry, in the form of natural ingredients. Possible solutions include the use of plant extracts, essential oils or antimicrobial peptides. This paper provides a review of research on the replacement of artificial preservatives in meat products with traditional chemical compounds of natural origin.