The growing interest in biopreservation strategies is encouraging the search for natural alternatives to synthetic compounds to improve the microbiological stability of refrigerated meat products.

In this context, the aim of the study by M. Carletta et al. (2025) was to evaluate the efficacy of grapefruit essential oil, a phenolic extract derived from olive processing by-products, and an aromatic extract obtained from fruits and spices in extending the shelf life of commercial beef burgers packaged in a modified atmosphere (MAP: 65% O2, 10% N2, 25% CO2) and stored at 4°C. Four sample types were formulated: control (Ctrl), Bp1 (0.03% essential oil), Bp2 (0.01% essential oil + 0.05% phenolic extract), and Bp3 (0.4% aromatic extract). The burgers were monitored for aerobic mesophilic count, pH, color change (ΔE), and sensory profile.

The results showed a significant reduction in bacterial load in all samples compared to the control.