Oregano in Food

Oregano is a superb herb with many health benefits and a very flavorful herb that is used in culinary especially in Italian cooking. The scientific name of oregano is Origanum vulgare. It is also known as Suganda (Tagalong), Torongli de Limon (Spanish) and Zuo shou xiang (Chinese). Traditionally, oregano is used as herbal remedy for skin burns, cuts and bruises. The minty flavor from oregano is used for treating sore throat, asthma, colds, flu and cough.

Salmonellosis is mostly caused by Salmonella Enteritidis and it is a food-borne illness associated with the consumption of animal food origin. Today, many industries in the country use chemical additives in several meat processes to prevent growth of pathogens like Salmonella Enteritidis and to extend the shelf life of refrigerated storage. In a study from International Journal of Food Microbiology, (2010), oregano essential oil had showed antimicrobial effect against Salmonella Enteritidis. It proved that addition of oregano essential oil at 0.6 or 0.9% in minced sheep meat showed an antibacterial activity against Salmonella Enteritidis during storage at 4˚C or 10˚C.

Listeriosis is another food-borne illness which is caused by Listeria monocytogenes found in food. People with Listeriosis may have fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal problems. However, in a study on the disease in International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2008, the combination of oregano and cranberry with sodium lactate has inhibitory potential against Listeria monocytogenes in broth and cooked ground beef. 

Oregano can be used as additional food as to enhance flavor and nutritional value. In Journal of Food Chemistry, 2011, the addition of carrot and oregano leaf meals to pasta effectively enhanced the chemical and nutritional parameters. The improvement pasta made the increasing value of omega-3 fatty acid and antioxidant properties. Oregano has phenolic compounds which could transfer to pasta and play important role in cancer prevention. The developed pasta is one of the examples of functional food that may give health benefits to people.

   

References: 
Food Chemistry (2011)
International Journal of Food Microbiology (2010)
International Journal of Food Microbiology (2008) 
Listeria (Listeriosis), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013)
Oregano, Medical Health Guide – Blending Natural & Modern Medicine