Role of natural antioxidants on active packaging of meat and meat products: A review

• Meat and meat products are prone to deterioration due to lipid and protein oxidation. • Oxidation leads to spoilage, color changes, off-flavor, and reduced shelf life. • Natural antioxidants can be integrated into active packaging. • Antioxidants migrate into meat products, reducing oxidative deterioration. • Use of biodegradable active packaging improved food safety, sustainability, and consumer health benefits. Spoilage of meat and meat products damages the food industry by reducing product quality and shelf stability. Lipid oxidation and bacterial growth are key drivers of spoiling, making meat and its products difficult to preserve. Use of antioxidants delays this process, conserving the characteristics during storage. Concerns about the toxicity of synthetic antioxidants and consumer preference have led to a higher demand for natural alternatives. Simultaneously, active packaging is a strategy that is set to be promising in prolonging meat preservation. The review is uniquely highlighting the role of natural antioxidants in active packaging, outlines the mechanisms of action of these compounds such as free radical scavenging, metal ion chelation and inhibition of protein and lipid oxidation in the packaging environments. The advantages, limitations and stability challenges of synthetic and natural antioxidants are compared, presenting comparative evidence. In addition, the review also critically looks at the issue of safety and regulatory considerations, which are still a hindrance to large-scale commercialization. The future studies should focus more on enhancing compound stability and migration efficiency as well as industrial scalability to facilitate its widespread use. Combining mechanistic knowledge with regulatory viewpoints, this review offers an in-depth and prospective knowledge of how Natural antioxidant-based active packaging can promote meat preservation.