Effect of selected food additives on quality of meat and meat products, recent advances

Fresh meat is perishable and has a short shelf life due to spoilage by facultative anaerobes and psychotropic aerobes which produce a foul odor. Biogenic amines are formed during the storage of meat products such as sausage and ground beef by decarboxylation of amino acids and specific enzymes produced by microorganisms. This review paper presents an overview regarding the application of several functional food materials in meat and meat products to improve their quality as well as health benefits. A comprehensive literature search was performed for studies published prior to July 2024, utilizing multiple databases and employing topic keywords in the search strategy. The use of synthetic preservatives in meat and meat products could cause adverse effects on human health. There is a pressing need to use natural preservatives for this reason. The benefits of these functional materials mostly relate to reducing lipid oxidation, microbial growth, cholesterol levels and preventing the risk of several chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The benefits of selected functional food additives utilized to improve meat quality have been summarized. The functional food materials include, but are not limited to, green tea leaf extracts, grape extracts, grape seed extracts, oregano and oregano essential oil, cinnamon, rosemary, rosemary extract, and cinnamon essential oil, flaxseed, thyme, milk proteins, dietary fibers and surimi. The added substance(s) could have a variety of benefits on meat products' quality, such as reducing lipid oxidation, spoilage, and pathogenic microorganism growth, therefore extending the meat's shelf life. Furthermore, health benefits such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and colon cancer may be dramatically diminished. Novelty: This review summarizes recent advances in the application of natural functional food additives, including plant extracts, essential oils, and proteins, to enhance meat and meat product quality. It uniquely focuses on their potential to replace synthetic preservatives, offering health benefits like reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, while extending shelf life and controlling spoilage. Keywords: meat products, meat quality, food additives, natural antioxidants, essential oil