Effect of Oregano essential oil on sensory properties and shelf life of hamburger

Hamburger is one of the most important products of meat that has a lot of fans due to high nutritional value, in addition to good flavor and its simple use way, also due to lack of chemical additives in its production process. Microbial growth during storage is the main factor in the loss of the nutrient quality and also is one of the most important concerns for hamburger manufacturers. In this study, the essential oil of oregano as an antimicrobial compound was added to the formulation of 100g hamburger samples with different concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 percent. Hamburger samples produced were stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for 10 days and then on days 0, 4, 7, 10 were tested by chemical, microbial and sensory tests. According to the results, the treatment containing 2% of Oregano essential oil had the most appropriate chemical and sensory properties and the lowest total count of microorganisms than other treatments.