Changing the food industry

"Lipid oxidation is one of the main reasons for foods deteriorating, and causes a significant reduction in their nutritional value, as well as loss of taste", says Fern-ndez-L-pez.

These alterations lead to a reduction in the useful lifespan of the food product. To avoid such deterioration, the food industry uses synthetic antioxidants in its products. However, as these are chemical compounds, questions have been raised about their potential toxicity and side-effects.

As a result, there is a growing interest in using plant-based products (spices, aromatic and medicinal plants) with potential antioxidant activity, in order to replace the synthetic antioxidants with "natural" substances.

Source: FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology