| WARF: P03414US |  |
| Antioxidant Cranberry Extracts for Inhibiting Lipid Oxidation in Foods |
| INVENTORS | • | Mark Richards, Chen-Hsien Lee, Jess Reed |
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing extracts from fruit that can be added to food products to extend shelf life.
OVERVIEW
The oxidation of lipids, especially unsaturated fatty acids, can cause unpleasant odors, flavors and colors to develop in foods, thereby reducing food shelf life. Because of an abundance of unsaturated lipids, muscle foods, such as meat and fish products, are especially susceptible to the undesirable effects of lipid oxidation. Antioxidant compounds having phenolic structures can be added to foods to prevent or reduce lipid oxidation; however, many of the antioxidants currently undergoing testing have elicited safety and consumer acceptance concerns.
THE INVENTION
UW-Madison researchers have developed extracts from fruit, especially cranberry, that can be added to food products to prevent or reduce lipid oxidation and thus extend food shelf life. Cranberries contain a variety of polyphenolic antioxidant compounds, including quercetin, cinnamic acid, anthocyanin, flavonoids and proanthocyanidin. In preliminary tests of both total powders and extracts of cranberry, the researchers found that an extract containing several flavonoids and proanthocyanidins was particularly effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation in mechanically separated turkey.
APPLICATIONS
- Preserving chopped, minced or ground meats, including beef, pork, chicken, turkey and fish
- Extending the shelf life of salad dressings, dehydrated vegetables, dough, soy products, dairy products, peanut butter and pet foods
KEY BENEFITS
- Provides a natural source of antioxidant compounds with potentially fewer food safety concerns than current synthetic antioxidants
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
Preliminary results suggest extracts could be added at concentrations as low as 0.02 percent of meat weight to significantly increase shelf life.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For More Information About the Inventors
Intellectual Property Status
Tech Fields
Food & Supplements - Safety & quality
CONTACT INFORMATION
For current licensing status, please contact our team at
licensing@warf.org
or phone 608.262.4924. (Clicking this link will open a contact form in a popup window. If you have problems viewing the form, try disabling your popup blocker software.)
Since its founding in 1925 as the patenting and licensing organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
