Effect of essential oils of copaiba and oregano in substitution of synthetic antioxidants in Tambaqui fish meat balls

The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate the effects of including the essential oil of copaiba and oregano as a possible replacement for synthetic butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) additives in fish meat ball. PH, cooking loss, texture, color, sensory acceptability and chemical composition were evaluated. The addition of oregano essential oil had an effect on the color of the fish meat ball (P 0.05) on the chemical composition of the fish meat ball. The essential oils of copaiba and oregano are promising natural antioxidants to increase the useful life of fish by-products, in addition to being a viable solution to replace the synthetic antioxidant BHT, bringing benefits to its commercialization.