Application of oligosaccharides in meat processing and preservation

Abstract

In recent decades, consumer preference and attention to foodstuff presented as healthy and with desirable nutritional information, has increased significantly. In this field, the meat industry has a challenging task since meat and meat products have been related to various chronic diseases. Functional ingredients have emerged in response to the increasing demand for healthier and more nutritious foods. On this matter, oligosaccharides such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and chitooligosaccharides (COS) have been presented as suitable ingredients for the meat industry with the aim of obtaining healthier meat derivatives (e.g. with low fat or sugar content, reduced amount of additives, and desirable functional properties, etc.). However, studies considering application of such oligomers in the meat sector are scarce. In addition, a large number of issues remain to be solved related both to obtaining and characterizing the oligosaccharides available in the industry and to the effect that these ingredients have on the features of meat products (mainly physicochemical and sensory). The study of new oligosaccharides, the methodologies for obtaining them, and their application to new meat products should be promoted, as well as improving knowledge about their effects on the properties of functional meat foods.

Keywords:

• Antioxidants
• antimicrobials
• chitooligosaccharides
• cryoprotectants
• oligosaccharides
• fructooligosaccharides
• galactooligosaccharides
• functional ingredients
• meat products
• preservatives
• xylooligosaccharides

Acknowledgements

Thanks to GAIN (Axencia Galega de Innovación) for supporting this review (grant number IN607A2019/01). Jose M. Lorenzo and Paulo Cezar Bastianello Campagnol are members of the Healthy Meat network, funded by CYTED (ref. 119RT0568).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.