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Foods
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Meat Quality and Palatability
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Meat Quality and Palatability

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Meat".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 2574

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Hui Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: meat quality; meat processing; sausages; packaging
Dr. Xingguang Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China
Interests: bacteriostatic coating film preparation and mechanism; mold control methodologies; food spoilage bacteria identification and isolation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide insights into the cutting-edge advances and practical applications of research on meat quality and palatability. Key meat quality attributes, such as tenderness, juiciness, and flavour, are closely related to slaughtering treatments, storage conditions, and processing technologies. This Special Issue examines how these factors affect meat quality and consumer experience.

In addition, we focus on innovative processing methods, such as modification of traditional slaughtering and storage technologies, development of new products, and incorporation of consumer sensory demands and market trends to help improve the overall quality of meat products and industry competitiveness. We particularly encourage research contributions from multidisciplinary perspectives, such as molecular biology, nutrition, and sensory science, to advance the science of meat, improve the competitiveness of the industry, and meet the changing needs of the global food system.

Prof. Hui Zhou
Dr. Xingguang Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • characterisation of meat quality
  • tenderness and juiciness
  • flavour chemistry and sensory science
  • slaughtering and processing technology
  • refrigeration and preservation
  • consumer sensory preferences
  • nutrient analysis
  • sustainable production technologies
  • innovative meat processing products

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 609 KB  
Article
Dietary Lysine Supplementation Above Requirement Improves Carcass Traits and Enhances Pork Flavor Profiles in Finishing Pigs Under Commercial Conditions
by Jialong Liao, Fengyi Song, Boyang Wan, Haijun Sun, Jingdong Yin and Xin Zhang
Foods 2025, 14(18), 3262; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183262 - 20 Sep 2025
Viewed by 665
Abstract
To explore the effects of dietary lysine level (DLLs) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and flavor characteristics in finishing pigs under large-scale commercial farming conditions, approximately 450 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred finishing pigs (initial body weight: 103.65 ± 4.28 [...] Read more.
To explore the effects of dietary lysine level (DLLs) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and flavor characteristics in finishing pigs under large-scale commercial farming conditions, approximately 450 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred finishing pigs (initial body weight: 103.65 ± 4.28 kg) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups in this study. Each group consisted of four replicate pens, with 25~30 pigs per pen. The Lys100 group received a diet formulated according to the NRC (2012) standard. The standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys) levels in the diets for the Lys115, Lys130 and Lys145 groups were set at 115%, 130% and 145% of the level in the Lys100 group, respectively. The trial lasted for 31 days. The results showed that increasing DLLs by 15%, 30% or 45%, while safeguarding the lysine requirement and maintaining the ideal ratios of other essential amino acids to lysine, had no negative impact on growth performance or meat quality. For carcass traits, increasing lysine levels in diets linearly increased loin eye area (p = 0.018) and tended to reduce backfat thickness at the 10th rib (p = 0.096). Methionine and glycine contents in the longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle linearly increased with an increase in DLLs (p = 0.014 and 0.073, respectively). Furthermore, increasing lysine levels by 45% significantly increased the percentage of volatile flavor compounds (VOCs) belonging to nitrogen compounds (p = 0.040), ethers (p = 0.026) and aldehydes (p = 0.040), as well as increased contents of key VOCs, such as (E)-2-Nonenal (p = 0.005), (E)-2-Octenal (p = 0.005) and 1-Octen-3-one (p = 0.008), contributing to enhanced sweet, fruity, fatty and waxy flavor profiles. According to various indexes, better carcass traits and pork flavor could be achieved by increasing lysine levels by 45% in diets based on the recommended value for finishing pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Quality and Palatability)
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19 pages, 1685 KB  
Article
Effects of Thermal Sterilization Conditions on Flavor and Lipid Oxidation of Sauced Duck Necks
by Beibei Chu, Chao Zhang, Yushen Song, Hui Zhou, Xingguang Chen and Qianhui Gu
Foods 2025, 14(17), 3136; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173136 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 676
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of thermal sterilization on the volatile flavor of sauced duck necks. The study revealed that thermal sterilization significantly reduced the content of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid C18:1n9c) in sauced duck necks. This was accompanied [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of thermal sterilization on the volatile flavor of sauced duck necks. The study revealed that thermal sterilization significantly reduced the content of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid C18:1n9c) in sauced duck necks. This was accompanied by elevated thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (max 0.86 mg/100 g) and peroxide values (max 1.13 g/100 g), indicating intensified lipid oxidation. Through PLS-DA, six key differential free fatty acids distinguishing the sterilization treatment groups were identified: cis-9-tetradecadecarbonate, methyl tridecarbonate, cis-10-17-cetenoic acid, antioleic acid, cis-13-docosaenoic acid methyl ester, and lauric acid. The primary volatile flavor compounds in sauced duck necks were identified as alkenes and ethers. Post-sterilization alterations in volatile flavor profiles primarily resulted from compositional changes in alkenes, esters, and ethers within the total volatile compounds. Moreover, it was demonstrated that sterilization temperature exerted a significantly greater impact on the quality of sauced duck necks than sterilization duration. Following organoleptic evaluation, samples subjected to low-temperature prolonged sterilization (90 °C for 30 min) exhibited the highest aroma scores, establishing this protocol as the optimal thermal sterilization condition. This study is of great significance for selecting thermal sterilization conditions and maintaining meat flavor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Quality and Palatability)
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11 pages, 222 KB  
Article
Internal Endpoint Cooking Temperature Alters Quality and Consumer Acceptability of Pork Loin Chops
by Savannah L. Douglas, Ricardo J. Barrazueta-Coredero, Gabriela M. Bernardez-Morales, Nina E. Gilmore, Linda S. Barahona-Dominguez, Sungeun Cho and Jason T. Sawyer
Foods 2025, 14(12), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122052 - 11 Jun 2025
Viewed by 805
Abstract
Quality and consumer satisfaction of meat products could be influenced by endpoint cooking temperatures. Attributes of pork, such as palatability, cooking loss, and internal color, influence consumer acceptability. The degree of doneness was evaluated on pork chop characteristics of texture, cooking loss, consumer [...] Read more.
Quality and consumer satisfaction of meat products could be influenced by endpoint cooking temperatures. Attributes of pork, such as palatability, cooking loss, and internal color, influence consumer acceptability. The degree of doneness was evaluated on pork chop characteristics of texture, cooking loss, consumer acceptability, and electronic nose. Pork loin chops (N = 264) were allocated randomly to one of three endpoint degrees of doneness (63 °C, 71 °C, and 79 °C). Cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 79 °C caused the cooked color to be darker (p < 0.0001) and less red (p = 0.0057). In addition, chops cooked to a 63 °C degree of doneness had greater moisture and lower shear force values (p < 0.0001). Consumer panel ratings of flavor profiles were greater for juiciness, texture, and tenderness (p < 0.0001) when chops were cooked to a 63 °C degree of doneness. Electronic nose analysis of the changes in cooked volatiles can impact the overall flavor and aroma profiles of pork loin chops. These findings conclude that cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 63 °C improves the overall eating quality, acceptability, and cooking characteristics of pork loin chops. However, more information on the use of an optimal endpoint cooking temperature is needed to improve consumer awareness of pork chop quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Meat Quality and Palatability)
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