Nutritional Approach for Designing Meat-based Functional Food Products with Nuts

Abstract

Meat and meat products are essential components of diets in developed countries and despite the convincing evidence that relate them to an increased risk for CVD, a growing consumption of meat products is foreseen. Epidemiological studies show that regular consumption of nuts, in general, and walnuts in particular, correlates inversely with myocardial infarction and ischaemic vascular disease. We assess the nutritional basis for and technological approach to the development of functional meat-based products potentially relevant in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. Using the available strategies in the meat industry (reformulation processes) and a food-based approach, we address the design and development of restructured beef steak with added walnuts, potentially functional for CVD risk reduction. Its adequacy as a vehicle for active nutrients is confirmed by a pharmacokinetic pilot study in humans using γ-tocopherol as an exposure biomarker in chylomicrons during the post-prandial state. Effect and potential “functionality” is being assessed by a dietary intervention study in subjects at risk and markers and indicators related to CVD are being evaluated. Within the conceptual framework of evidence-based medicine, development of meat-based functional products may become a useful approach for specific applications, with a potential market and health benefits of great importance at a population level.

Keywords:

• γ-tocopherol
• nuts
• functional foods
• biomarkers
• cardiovascular diseases

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work has been performed with financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (AGL 2001-2398-C03-02) and Red de Investigación Cooperativa del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (RCMN C03/08). The authors are indebted to F. Jiménez-Colmenero for encouraging us to write this paper and to Martha Messman for preparing the manuscript.

Notes

^a Taken from ref. 46.

^b by means of a Quality-controlled HPLC method [50]

¹Amount of walnut powder added.

²Steak serving:150 g.

³Based on the consumption of 4 steaks plus 1 sausage (80 g) per week.