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Advances in Meat and Protein Processing, Flavor Chemistry, and Preservation
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Advances in Meat and Protein Processing, Flavor Chemistry, and Preservation

A Special Issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158) belonging to the section "Meat".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2026 | Viewed by 2020

Editors

Dr. Bon-Jae Gu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Technology, Kongju National University, Yesan, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
Interests: food extrusion; food processing; food ingredient; food properties; upcycled food; sustainable food; alternative food; plant-based meat analog; insect-based food; food texture; food functionality; food quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sang-Hyun Park

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Technology, Kongju National University, Yesan, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant-based meat analog; food hygiene; food microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in meat and protein processing are increasingly important as the food industry seeks to improve product quality, safety, and sustainability. This Special Issue highlights progress in traditional meat systems and emerging protein applications, with emphasis on how processing technologies, flavor chemistry, and preservation strategies enhance functionality and consumer acceptance.

Innovations in thermal and non-thermal processing, structuring methods, and protein functionality control continue to strengthen texture, nutritional integrity, and microbial stability in meat products, while developments in alternative protein processing create opportunities to complement conventional foods.

Flavor chemistry offers insights into aroma formation, precursor reactions, and off-flavor mitigation across diverse protein matrices. Advances in preservation technologies further support shelf-life extension, safety, and waste reduction.

This Special Issue welcomes research on physicochemical and sensory properties, processing optimization, flavor mechanisms, and preservation strategies relevant to meat and emerging protein systems, aiming to advance scientific understanding and next-generation protein development.

Dr. Bon-Jae Gu
Dr. Sang-Hyun Park
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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

  • meat processing
  • protein processing
  • thermal and non-thermal technologies
  • protein functionality
  • flavor chemistry
  • preservation technologies
  • emerging protein systems
  • sensory quality
  • alternative protein

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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

24 pages, 3241 KB  
Article
Dynamic Changes in Flavor-Related Compounds and Bacterial Community Structure During Sichuan Jiangrou Ripening
by Xiangling You, Tianyang Wang, Haibin Yuan, Wanting Tang, Huachang Wu and Xiangbo Xu
Foods 2026, 15(18), 3258; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15183258 - 15 Sep 2026
Viewed by 130
Abstract
Ripening time is a major determinant of quality and flavor formation in traditional Sichuan fermented Jiangrou (JR). However, the changes in physicochemical properties, flavor compounds, and bacterial communities during JR ripening remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the dynamic changes [...] Read more.
Ripening time is a major determinant of quality and flavor formation in traditional Sichuan fermented Jiangrou (JR). However, the changes in physicochemical properties, flavor compounds, and bacterial communities during JR ripening remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the dynamic changes in physicochemical properties, flavor-related compounds, and bacterial communities during JR ripening and to identify potential markers associated with different ripening stages. JR samples collected at eight ripening stages (0–35 days) were characterized using physicochemical measurements, electronic tongue analysis, free amino acid profiling, GC-MS, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The data were further analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis and interpretable machine learning. The results indicated that moisture content decreased from 74.60 to 45.87 g/100 g, whereas salt content increased to 3.67 g/100 g. Lipid oxidation progressively intensified, while superoxide dismutase activity and total free amino acids reached their highest levels around day 25. Total free amino acids increased from 31.85 to 313.98 mg/100 g before declining during late ripening. These temporal patterns suggest that days 20–25 represent a transition period under the conditions tested. Electronic tongue and volatile-profile analyses revealed pronounced stage-dependent changes in taste and aroma. Aldehydes accumulated prominently at day 25, whereas esters became predominant during late ripening. An XGBoost model built with aroma-active compounds correctly classified all samples in the current dataset. SHAP analysis identified heptanal, octanal, ethanol, methyl pentanoate, and 2-methylbutanal as the most influential candidate markers for differentiating ripening stages. Firmicutes remained the dominant bacterial phylum. At the genus level, the community shifted from the initial predominance of Brochothrix toward enrichment of Staphylococcus and Macrococcus. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that dehydration, salt accumulation, and lipid oxidation were associated with the dominant species and various volatile aldehydes, esters, and alcohols. Overall, these findings clarify the multidimensional succession of quality and flavor during JR ripening and provide a basis for monitoring the critical ripening period and standardizing production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Meat and Protein Processing, Flavor Chemistry, and Preservation)
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17 pages, 7222 KB  
Article
Effects of Extrusion Process Variables on the Physicochemical and Textural Properties of Isolated Rice Protein-Enhanced Low-Moisture Meat Analogs
by Yu Zhang, Joo-Won Kim, Hyerim Jeon, Gi-Hyung Ryu, Bon-Jae Gu and Da-Eun Jung
Foods 2026, 15(15), 2754; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15152754 - 5 Aug 2026
Viewed by 364
Abstract
In this study, the physicochemical and textural properties of isolated rice protein-enhanced low-moisture meat analogs (IRPE-LMMAs) were systematically evaluated in relation to key extrusion variables. A dry blend containing 10% isolated rice protein was processed by low-moisture extrusion cooking, and moisture content, barrel [...] Read more.
In this study, the physicochemical and textural properties of isolated rice protein-enhanced low-moisture meat analogs (IRPE-LMMAs) were systematically evaluated in relation to key extrusion variables. A dry blend containing 10% isolated rice protein was processed by low-moisture extrusion cooking, and moisture content, barrel temperature, and screw speed were varied using a Box–Behnken response surface design. The quality characteristics of IRPE-LMMAs were assessed based on appearance, water-holding capacity, integrity index, nitrogen solubility index, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and cutting strength. Among the tested variables, moisture content showed the most apparent influence on both hydration-related and texture-related properties. Higher moisture content tended to increase water-holding capacity, nitrogen solubility index, springiness, and cohesiveness, whereas chewiness and cutting strength decreased. These results indicate that increased moisture content improved water-related functionality and elastic properties but reduced firmness-related textural attributes. Barrel temperature and screw speed showed response-dependent effects, suggesting that their influence should be interpreted in combination with moisture content and the specific quality parameter considered. Response surface methodology based on chewiness identified a practical processing window within the experimental range of 39–40% moisture content, 141–144 °C barrel temperature, and 205–215 rpm screw speed. Supplementary exploratory regression analysis suggested that moisture content was a major contributor to the composite quality index, while firmness-related responses required separate consideration. Overall, the results indicate that isolated rice protein can be incorporated into LMMA formulations, and that process optimization should focus on balancing hydration, elasticity, and firmness according to the intended product quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Meat and Protein Processing, Flavor Chemistry, and Preservation)
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22 pages, 2159 KB  
Article
Effects of Controlled Atmosphere Conditions on the Quality Characteristics, Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Pork Bone Broth
by Ying Su, Junli Dong, Qian Deng, Long Zhang, Jing Li and Jie Chen
Foods 2026, 15(7), 1188; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15071188 - 1 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 925
Abstract
Controlled atmosphere (CA) is widely employed to preserve perishable foods, yet its potential effects on the quality of thermally processed bone broth remain poorly understood. This work systematically investigated the influences of ventilation time (0, 1, and 3 s), ventilation frequency (30, 60, [...] Read more.
Controlled atmosphere (CA) is widely employed to preserve perishable foods, yet its potential effects on the quality of thermally processed bone broth remain poorly understood. This work systematically investigated the influences of ventilation time (0, 1, and 3 s), ventilation frequency (30, 60, 90, and 110 cycles), and cooking duration (25, 30, 38, and 45 min) on the overall quality of pork bone broth. A single-factor experimental design was adopted with three replications per treatment. Results showed that CA treatment effectively improved the sensory properties of pork bone broth, including color, aroma, and taste. Different CA processing parameters differentially affected the accumulation of diglycerides, proteins, peptides, amino acids and lipid oxidation-related flavor compounds, as well as antioxidant activities and emulsion stability. Specifically, prolonged ventilation promoted the accumulation of diglycerides and medium-sized peptides (1–7 kDa) but concurrently reduced solids, fat content, and ABTS radical scavenging activity, suggesting a trade-off between flavor precursor generation and oxidative stability. Furthermore, most quality indicators initially increased with rising ventilation frequency but subsequently declined at excessive levels, with optimal values attained at moderate frequencies. Notably, CA conditions that enhanced the formation of desirable flavor compounds also increased the accumulation of lipid oxidation byproducts, highlighting a critical balance required for achieving optimal product quality. Ultimately, it was found that a ventilation time of 1 s, a ventilation frequency of 60 cycles per minute, and a cooking duration of 30 min maximized the benefits of controlled atmosphere (CA) processing, thereby achieving optimal sensory properties, flavor profiles and nutritional composition in pork bone broth. This study provides fundamental data to support the development and quality regulation of thermally processed meat broths. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Meat and Protein Processing, Flavor Chemistry, and Preservation)
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