Anti-Rancidity Protection Now Available for Ready Meals

Feb. 25, 2009

New findings on VivOX 4, an all-natural preservative that is produced and marketed by Vitiva, suggest effective anti-rancidity protection for various types of meat-based ready meals.  This versatile oil-soluble, water-dispersible formula helps increase shelf life and reduces WOF (warmed over flavor), while keeping important organoleptic characteristics of the product.

Production of meat-based ready meals includes thermal processing that affects the fats present in food and increases their oxidative instability. This instability is even greater when foods are battered and fried, due to oil pick up of fried products such as chicken nuggets, battered fish etc. During cooling, freezing, transportation and warehousing, there is an increased exposure to oxygen and light, which accelerates unwanted changes of ready meals like rancidity, organoleptics characteristics and appearance of WOF. According to Bharat Book Bureau, manufacturers are developing ready meals making it more convenient for consumers to develop ‘homemade’ style food, involving the use of fresh and local ingredients. The demand for freshness overlaps with trends in healthy ready meals, which still remains an important and growing sector.