Using food additives (e.g., preservatives, antioxidants) is one of the main methods for preserving meat and meat product quality (edible, sensory, and technological) during processing and storage. Conversely, they show negative health implications, so meat technology scientists are focusing on finding alternatives for these compounds. Terpenoid-rich extracts, including essential oils (EOs), are remarkable since they are generally marked as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and have a wide ranging acceptance from consumers. EOs obtained by conventional or non-conventional methods possess different preservative potentials. Hence, the first goal of this review is to summarize the technical-technology characteristics of different procedures for terpenoid-rich extract recovery and their effects on the environment in order to obtain safe, highly valuable extracts for further application in the meat industry. Isolation and purification of terpenoids, as the main constituents of EOs, are essential due to their wide range of bioactivity and potential for utilization as natural food additives. Therefore, the second goal of this review is to summarize the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of EOs and terpenoid-rich extracts obtained from different plant materials in meat and various meat products. The results of these investigations suggest that terpenoid-rich extracts, including EOs obtained from several spices and medicinal herbs (black pepper, caraway, Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt., coriander, garlic, oregano, sage, sweet basil, thyme, and winter savory) can be successfully used as natural antioxidants and antimicrobials in order to prolong the shelf-life of meat and processed meat products. These results could be encouraged for higher exploitation of EOs and terpenoid-rich extracts in the meat industry.
Keywords: antimicrobial agents; fresh meat; natural antioxidants; processed meat products; terpenoids.