Inhibition of heterocyclic amines formation in grilled beef patties by red pepper stalk extracts

To effectively inhibit the formation of heterocyclic amines (HAs) is crucial for human health. Plant extracts with strong antioxidant activity could be applied to meat processing to prevent the formation of HAs. The results indicated that red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) stalk extracts (RPSEs) exhibited antioxidant activity during the thermal processing of meat by decreasing protein and lipid oxidation and neutralizing free radicals. And effectively inhibited the formation of HAs in beef patties with an inhibition rate ranging from 29.5% to 89.3%. These benefits were achieved without adversely affecting the physical or chemical properties of grilled beef patties, except for a slight increase in hardness. Betaine-based deep eutectic solvent extracts resulted in a significant reduction of 65.4–89.3% and 67.5–84.7% for free and protein-bound HAs. Our research introduces a novel approach to diminish the levels of HAs in meat, enabling food producers to create more safety meat options.