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Healthier Meat and Meat Products
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Healthier Meat and Meat Products

A topical collection in Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This collection belongs to the section "Meat".

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Juana Fernández-López

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Collection Editor
IPOA Research Group, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria y Agroambiental, Universidad Miguel Hernández (CIAGRO-UMH), Carretera. Beniel Km 3.2, 033121 Orihuela, Spain
Interests: functional foods; dietary fiber; natural inhibitors; antioxidants; healthier meat products; essential oils; in vitro digestion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jose Angel Perez-Alvarez

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Collection Editor
IPOA Research Group, AgroFood Technology Department, Orihuela Polytechnical High School, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
Interests: functional and healthy foods; dietary fibers; healthy meat products; animal-based foods; plant-protein analogues
Prof. Dr. Alfredo Jorge Costa Teixeira

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Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Campus de Santa Apolónia, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: meat science; meat quality; meat products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumers' growing concern for their health is leading to increasing demand for healthier and more nutritional foods. Meat products are major sources of high-quality proteins and many bioactive compounds (iron, zinc, and B vitamins). However, meat and meat products have also been associated with nutrients and nutritional profiles that are also considered negatives, including high levels of fats, especially saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, nitrites, and sodium. Some of these compounds have been related to an increased risk of suffering some important non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and high blood pressure, among others. This has led many health agencies to recommend reducing the consumption of meat and meat products. For this reason, the trend toward developing healthier meat and meat products is increasingly important. In this way, different strategies have been applied, such as decreasing salt and nitrite addition by substitution for other compounds or plant extracts or fungi extracts or even developing new technological processes; decreasing fat content by substitution with dietary fibers, high-protein ingredients, or bulking agents; substituting saturated fatty acids with unsaturated ones using vegetable oils or gelled emulsions or oleogels, etc. All of these strategies should be optimized and fine-tuned for each specific production process in order to make it technologically viable and to obtain meat products that not only meet healthy nutritional requirements but are also accepted by the consumer.

Prof. Dr. Juana Fernández-López
Prof. Dr. Jose Angel Perez-Alvarez
Prof. Dr. Alfredo Jorge Costa Teixeira
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • meat products
  • healthy
  • unsaturated fatty acids
  • nitrites
  • salt
  • vegetable oils
  • gelled emulsions
  • meat consumption
  • nutritional requirements

Published Papers (3 papers)

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2025

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17 pages, 2092 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Ferulic Acid Added to Dried Meat: Shelf-Life Evaluation
by Any Guadalupe Hernández-Jaime, Francisco Castillo-Rangel, Martha María Arévalos-Sánchez, Ana Luisa Rentería-Monterrubio, Eduardo Santellano-Estrada, Juan Manuel Tirado-Gallegos and América Chávez-Martínez
Foods 2025, 14(4), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040708 - 19 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Ferulic acid is an antimicrobial and antioxidant phenolic compound located in the cell walls of plants and therefore classified as a natural antioxidant. The objective of this study was to assess the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of ferulic acid as a substitute for [...] Read more.
Ferulic acid is an antimicrobial and antioxidant phenolic compound located in the cell walls of plants and therefore classified as a natural antioxidant. The objective of this study was to assess the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of ferulic acid as a substitute for nitrites in the elaboration of dried meat. Four treatments were evaluated: dried meat without nitrites or ferulic acid, (control treatment), dried meat with nitrites, dried meat with 0.05% of ferulic acid, and dried meat with 0.1% of ferulic acid. The antioxidant activity, lipid oxidation, and microbiological quality were evaluated throughout the dried meat shelf life. The protein, fat, and ash content was not different between the treatments with nitrites and ferulic acid (p > 0.05) and all values were within the ranges established for these nutrients. Regarding the moisture content, although there was a difference between treatments (p < 0.05), the values found were within the reported range (5–15%) in dried meat. Treatment with nitrites had the highest sodium content (p < 0.05), although all treatments surpass the daily consumption of sodium recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, color differences would not be noticeable to the human eye. Treatments with ferulic acid exhibited the highest (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity and the lowest lipid oxidation and total aerobic mesophile counts. Finally, the change in the formulation of dried meat using ferulic acid instead of nitrites was not perceptible to panelists in sensory evaluation. These findings suggest that the incorporation of ferulic acid, when added to dried meat, can improve its oxidative stability and increase its antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the use of ferulic acid at a concentration of 0.1% is recommended because, at this concentration, the antioxidant activity was greater, and the oxidation was below the threshold of perceived rancidity. However, further research is needed to study the effect of nitrite substitution using ferulic acid in combination with other potential natural antioxidants. Full article
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18 pages, 4934 KiB  
Article
Rheological and Gelling Properties of Chicken-Mushroom Hybrid Gel for Flexitarian-Friendly Functional Food Applications
by Ngassa Julius Mussa, Manat Chaijan, Porntip Thongkam, Chantira Wongnen, Warangkana Kitpipit, Hasene Keskin Çavdar, Siriporn Riebroy Kim and Worawan Panpipat
Foods 2025, 14(4), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040645 - 14 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Hybrid gels combining chicken and mushroom offer innovative functional food choices, catering to the growing demand for flexitarian-friendly products. These gels reduce meat content while enhancing dietary fiber, bioactive compounds, and sustainability. This study examined the effects of split gill mushroom (Schizophyllum [...] Read more.
Hybrid gels combining chicken and mushroom offer innovative functional food choices, catering to the growing demand for flexitarian-friendly products. These gels reduce meat content while enhancing dietary fiber, bioactive compounds, and sustainability. This study examined the effects of split gill mushroom (Schizophyllum commune) powder (SGM) substitution (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, w/w) for Ligor chicken meat in hybrid gels, focusing on rheological and gelling properties. The 25% SGM gel demonstrated optimal performance in terms of rheology, texture, microstructure, pH, water-holding capacity, and color. At this level, hybrid gels exhibited superior gelation properties, demonstrating elasticity dominance, as indicated by a higher storage modulus (G′) than loss modulus (G″), along with stable cohesiveness and unaffected springiness (p > 0.05). However, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness were significantly lower than the control (p < 0.05). Higher SGM levels (50–75%) markedly weakened the gels, reducing viscoelasticity, increasing porosity and water release, and causing discoloration. These findings highlight 25% SGM as an optimal level for hybrid meat gels, maintaining product quality while promoting sustainability in the meat industry. Full article
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2024

Jump to: 2025

17 pages, 1503 KiB  
Article
Improving the Nutritional Quality of Protein and Microbiota Effects in Additive- and Allergen-Free Cooked Meat Products
by Pablo Ayuso, Jhazmin Quizhpe, Fani Yepes, Domingo Miranzo, Antonio Avellaneda, Gema Nieto and Gaspar Ros
Foods 2024, 13(12), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121792 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1809
Abstract
The primary objective of the meat industry is to enhance the quality and positive attributes of meat products, driven by an increasing consumer demand for healthier, less processed options. One common approach to achieving this goal is the replacement of additives and allergens [...] Read more.
The primary objective of the meat industry is to enhance the quality and positive attributes of meat products, driven by an increasing consumer demand for healthier, less processed options. One common approach to achieving this goal is the replacement of additives and allergens with natural ingredients. Nevertheless, the nutritional impact of these changes has not been extensively studied. To address these gaps, two new meat products were developed: cooked turkey breast and cooked ham. The products in question exclude additives and allergens and instead incorporate a blend of natural extracts containing vitamin C, chlorogenic acids, hydroxytyrosol, catechins, epicatechins, vinegar, and inulin fibre. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of these reformulations on protein quality and gut microbiota. Protein quality was evaluated using the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) following in vitro digestion. The microbial composition and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production were analysed through in vitro colonic fermentations in both normal-weight and obese participants in order to gauge their effect on gut microbiota. The results demonstrated that the reformulation of cooked turkey breast increased its digestibility by 6.4%, while that of cooked ham exhibited a significant 17.9% improvement. Furthermore, protein quality was found to have improved significantly, by 19.5% for cooked turkey breast and 32.9% for cooked ham. Notwithstanding these alterations in protein digestibility, the microbial composition at the phylum and genus levels remained largely unaltered. Nevertheless, total SCFA production was observed to increase in both groups, with a more pronounced effect observed in the normal-weight group. In conclusion, the substitution of artificial additives with natural ingredients in reformulated cooked meat products has resulted in enhanced digestibility, improved protein quality, and increased production of short-chain fatty acids. Full article
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