Due to their antioxidant activity, alkylresorcinols (ARs) extracted from by-products could represent promising natural and innovative antioxidants for the food industry. This study tested the ability of ARs isolated from wheat bran to increase the shelf-life of minced-meat models stored at 4 °C for 9 days. Fifteen alk(en)ylresorcinols (C17–C25) were recognized by GC/MS, showing good radical-scavenging (200.70 ± 1.33 μmolTE/g extract) and metal-chelating (1.38 ± 0.30 mgEDTAE/g extract) activities. Two ARs concentrations (0.01% and 0.02%) were compared to sodium ascorbate (0.01% and 0.10%) on color (CIELAB values L*, a*, b*, chroma, and hue) and oxidative stability (lipid hydroperoxides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) of minced-beef samples. ARs-treated samples were oxidatively more stable than those formulated with sodium ascorbate and the negative control, with significantly lower contents of hydroperoxides and VOCs (hexanal, 1-hexanol, and 1-octen-3-ol) throughout the experiment (p < 0.001). However, no effect on color stability was observed (p > 0.05). Since 0.01% of ARs was equally or more effective than 0.10% sodium ascorbate, those results carry important implications for the food industry, which could reduce antioxidant amounts by ten times and replace synthetic antioxidants with natural ones.

Increasing consumer demand for healthier and clean-label meat products, together with health concerns over synthetic antioxidants, has driven interest in natural alternatives. In this context, tannin-rich extracts were evaluated as functional ingredients to improve the quality and shelf life of beef patties. The effect of two different tannin-rich extracts, each tested at three different concentrations (0.005%, 0.02%, and 0.04% w/w), was investigated in beef patties. Obtained results were compared with a commercial rosemary extract (0.2% w/w) and an untreated control. Natural antioxidant supplementation significantly reduced lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage, limiting malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. At the end of the 7-day storage period, the control sample exhibited the highest thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value of 2.99 ± 0.01 mg MDA/kg, whereas treated samples showed markedly reduced oxidation (0.34–0.97 mg MDA/kg), with tannin-rich extracts presenting greater antioxidant efficacy with respect to rosemary extract (p < 0.001). The natural compounds also effectively inhibited hexanal formation and delayed the accumulation of 1-octen-3-ol compared with the control (p < 0.001). Moreover, all extracts enhanced meat redness, as indicated by higher CIELAB a* values, while no significant effects (p > 0.05) were observed on texture, microbial growth, or overall sensory acceptance. These results highlight tannin-rich extracts as promising natural antioxidants for improving oxidative stability and extending the shelf life of beef patties.