Meat Products, Processed Meat Ingredients

Ingredients were first utilized to preserve meat and improve its palatability; which date back to when our ancestors used salt and fire to preserve meat. Since that time humans have incorporated a wide variety of ingredients to develop unique meat products and find ways to extend the shelf life of these products so that they can be shipped long distances and held for prolonged periods of time. Ingredients shape the sensory perception of processed meat products by their ability to affect the appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and juiciness of the product. In recent years, consumers have demanded healthier and more convenient meat products. The meat ingredient industry has provided several ingredients to meet these demands, eg, extenders and binders to lower the fat level of the meat product, salt replacers and other ingredients to replace nitrite in organic and natural products. In the last few years, the food industry is seeing an increase in consumer demand for nutraceutical or functional ingredients and the meat industry is responding. This chapter reviews the most commonly utilized ingredients used in meat processing and how they function in the meat products. Keywords: meat; meat processing; ingredients