Production and use of natural antioxidants [from various plant materials]

We have developed a new industrial process for obtaining natural antioxidants from spices and other vegetables by primarily adapting mechanical and physical treatments. Rosemary, sage, paprika, nutmeg and cocoa shells have been submitted to a mechanical treatment (micronization), and the finely powdered material was extracted with an edible vegetable oil, i.e., groundnut. The antioxidant dissolved in the lipid phase was collected by two‐stage falling film molecular distillation to separate the lipid phase to be recycled) from the active, low molecular weight fraction. Antioxidant activity was measured for fats, oils and fat‐containing foods by oxygen absorption, head‐space analysis (i.e., pentane) extent of secondary degradation products and organoleptic evaluations. Results obtained indicate that molecular distillates from spices, i.e., rosemary derivatives, effectively protect foods against oxidative rancidity.