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Application of Natural Antioxidants in Dairy Foods 277
VetBooks.ir ascorbic acid, and tocopherol shall be added to any food. However, in ghee

and butter, BHA may be added in a concentration not exceeding 0.02%. It is
interesting to note that the addition of these artificial chemicals is restricted
by the FDA because of food safety concerns, not to mention emerging trends
for consumer preferences toward more “green” food processing applica-
tions (Yue et al., 2008). BHA has been revealed to be carcinogenic in animal
experiments. Similarly, at high doses, BHT is reported to cause internal and
external hemorrhaging, leading to death in some strains of mice and guinea
pigs (Ito et al., 1986). Natural antioxidants are, thus, generally recognized as
safe when used in accordance with food manufacturing practices and there-
fore not limited in most foods (CFR, 2001). The addition of α-tocopherol,
ascorbic acid, and ascorbyl palmitate to milk is permitted and no legal limit
exists for the use of the same. However, the presence of these must be noted
on the label and the same must not be used in higher concentrations as it may
lead to pro-oxidative effects (Frankel, 1998).

7.8 NEED OF NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS IN DAIRY PRODUCTS

The potential health hazards of synthetic antioxidants have prompted
researchers to search for natural antioxidants from plant source (Lee & Shib-
amoto, 2002). Additionally, recent trends in the marketplace have focused
on natural and organic products that do not utilize synthetic additives which
have further spurred this research. Foods manufacturers have also been
motivated to carry out research on the use of natural antioxidants because
studies have shown that such compounds are not only beneficial to the shelf
life of food products but also as preventive medicine. Reports revealing
toxic and carcinogenic effects of BHA and BHT; and the higher manufac-
turing costs and lower efficiency of natural antioxidants such as tocopherols,
together with the increasing consciousness of consumers with regard to food
additive safety, created a need for identifying alternative natural and prob-
ably safer sources of food antioxidants (Wanasundara & Shahidi, 1998; De
Oliveira et al., 2009; Prasad et al., 2009; Gutteridge & Halliwell, 2010).
The replacement of synthetic antioxidants by natural ones may have benefits
due to health implications and functionality of the natural antioxidants such
as solubility in both oil and water that could be of interest in preparations
of emulsions in food systems. Natural antioxidants from plant products are
reported to be more effective in reducing ROS levels compared to synthetic
single dietary antioxidants due to the synergistic actions of a wide range of
biomolecules such as vitamins C and E, phenolic compounds, carotenoids,