The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extracts from post-harvest sunflower and maize stalk residues, and their impact on the chemical composition, physicochemical parameters, lipid oxidative stability, microbiological properties, and sensory characteristics of pork liver pâtés over a 90-day storage period. Four formulations were prepared: a control group (CON), a batch with butylated hydroxytoluene as a synthetic antioxidant (BHT), 1% ethanolic extract from sunflower residues (SSRE), and 1% ethanolic extract from maize residues (MSRE). The MSRE had a higher total phenol content and showed better antioxidant activity relative to the SSRE (p < 0.01). The addition of SSRE decreased the lightness and increased the redness in the pork liver pâtés, with these pâtés showing the highest total color difference compared to the control (p < 0.01). The crop extracts increased the n-6 and total PUFA contents in pâtés and improved the PUFA/SFA ratio (p < 0.01). Formulations containing crop residue extracts showed higher TBARs and POV values than the control and BHT group (p < 0.01), indicating a pro-oxidant effect and accelerated lipid oxidation in pâtés during storage. As far as microbiological quality, the presence of crop residue extracts decreased the total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and psychotropic aerobic bacteria (p < 0.01). The incorporation of crop extracts in the pork pâtés impaired their sensory quality, particularly color, odor, aroma, and flavor, and decreased their overall acceptability. These results indicated that, while the crop residue extracts were not as effective as synthetic antioxidants in preserving the lipid stability of pâtés, they demonstrated potential for enhancing the microbial quality of this type of meat product.

Because of the importance of different packaging methods for the extension of fish shelf life, as a highly perishable food, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging on the total Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria counts of cold-smoked Salmon trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) stored at 3°C during six weeks. Trout fillets were vacuumed packaged (VP) or packaged in one of two different modified atmospheres, with gas ratio of 50%CO₂/50%N₂ (MAP1) and 90%CO₂/10%N₂ (MAP2) and analysed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Both the total Enterobacteriaceae and total lactic acid bacteria counts increased in the trout fillets in all packaging types during storage. A significantly lower total Enterobacteriaceae count was determined in the MAP fish compared to the VP fish, with the weakest growth rate and lowest numbers attained in MAP2 fillets. The lactic acid bacteria count was higher in trout packaged in MAP compared to VP, with the highest number in the MAP with 90% CO₂ (MAP2).

The study aimed to compare the chemical composition (proximate, mineral, fatty acid, and amino acid composition) and nutritional value of meat from three deer species (fallow deer, red deer, and roe deer). A total of eighteen male carcasses of three species were collected. Proximate composition of deer meat ( M. longissimus lumborum ) did not differ among the three deer species, while deer species affected the content of most minerals (Ca, P, Na, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn). In the present study analysis of the fatty acid profile of deer meat showed that the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) to saturated fatty acid ratio and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio were, for all three deer species, within the recommended values. Furthermore, based on nutritional indexes (n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, atherogenicity index, hypocholesterolaemic to hypercholesterolaemic fatty acid ratio, and nutrition value index), it is concluded that roe deer meat had the highest, while fallow deer meat had the lowest nutritive value. Although the content of certain essential amino acids (isoleucine and valine) was lower in fallow deer meat than in red deer and roe deer meat (p≤0.05), the ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids was higher in fallow deer than in the two other deer species (p≤0.05).