Inhibition of lipid oxidation and hexanal production in cooked meats by microbial iron chelator deferriferrichrysin from rice wine

Lipid oxidation imparting off‐flavor and decreasing the shelf life of meat is a significant concern of the global food industry. Here, the efficacy of a natural iron chelator, deferriferrichrysin (Dfcy), contained in sake (Japanese rice wine), against lipid oxidation of meat was investigated. Purified Dfcy and Dfcy‐enhanced sake were prepared and added to three kinds of meat (chicken, pork, and beef) and heated at 70°C for 70 min, followed by storage at 4°C for 10 days and analysis of the efficacy to inhibit lipid oxidation. Dfcy reduced thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS) values of meat products by over 50% with the addition of 100 mg/kg of Dfcy. Hexanal production was more efficiently reduced, that is, over 90% reduction with the addition of 50–100 mg/kg of Dfcy. The findings suggest Dfcy and Dfcy‐containing sake as promising novel natural antioxidants to inhibit lipid oxidation in meat products. Novelty Impact Statement This study investigated the natural iron chelator deferriferrichrysin (Dfcy) contained in sake (Japanese rice wine) against the lipid oxidation of meat products. Purified Dfcy and Dfcy‐containing sake inhibited hexanal production with over 90% reduction at 50–100 ppm in chicken, pork, and beef meat. Dfcy was shown to be an efficient inhibitor of lipid oxidation in meat products, and the strategy used in this study could be used to develop schemes for the production of other rice wines that contain iron chelator.