Edible mushrooms as a novel trend in the development of healthier meat products

Health or environment? Understanding which informative message is more effective in replacing red meat with mushroom-based alternatives

Current concerns regarding the health and environmental consequences associated with excessive meat consumption have underscored the importance of guiding consumers towards more sustainable diets. Given this perspective, this study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of tailored informative messages in shaping consumer behaviour, particularly within the framework of replacing meat with mushroom-based alternatives. Additionally, it explores the factors influencing informative message effectiveness. An experimental online survey was conducted on a sample of 951 Italian consumers. Specifically, the sample was divided into three groups, of which 309 individuals formed the control group, 311 participants received informative messages on the health risks associated with red meat consumption, and 331 participants received informative messages emphasizing the environmental damages linked to red meat consumption. In both treatments, there was support for mushroom-based alternatives. Analyses included subgroup assessments, tests to verify treatments effectiveness, along with OLS regression to pinpoint variables influencing message effectiveness. The results underscore a fair positive impact of the two informative messages (mean scores: 8.75 for health message; 7.01 for environmental message). Noteworthy psychosocial variables, including lifestyle patterns, nutritional perceptions, and ecological attitudes, emerged as determinants in shaping consumers' food choices. While health-related messages exhibit marked influence, the nuanced landscape of diverse drivers and barriers necessitates judicious communication strategies. These insights bear significance for policymakers, health professionals, and marketers, offering guidance for interventions that effectively influence consumer behaviour toward more sustainable and healthier food practices.

The improvement effects of Lentinus edodes powder marination on sous vide cooked chicken patties: Physicochemical attributes, oxidative properties and flavor characteristics

The improvement effects of Lentinus edodes powder (LEP) marination with different concentrations (0, 6-14 %) on physicochemical, oxidative and flavor quality of chicken patties were evaluated. Greater pH, redness, yellowness, water holding capacity and their strong correlations were observed in LEP-marinated samples. Changed water distribution, inhibited lipid oxidation and enhanced protein oxidation occurred through LEP marination. The highest gel strength and resilience and the lowest hardness and chewiness were obtained in 10 % LEP-marinated sample. Meanwhile, taste activity values of amino acids and saltiness peaked and umami rose in this sample. 124 volatiles were detected and 16 compounds were simultaneously detected by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hexanal, 1,2,4-trithiolane and 1-hexanol were considered as the key differential aroma-active compounds according to odor activity values and chemometric analysis. This study confirmed LEP as a prospective ingredient to improve the quality of meat products.

Novel fungal alternative proteins from Penicillium limosum for enhancing structural and functional properties of plant-based meat analogues

Fungal proteins are excellent novel protein resources due to their high nutritional value and biological activity. In this study, a non-toxic strain of Penicillium limosum with a high biomass yield, protein, and essential amino acid contents, was isolated from wheat Qu (solid-state fermentation starter culture). Pea protein isolate (PPI) and P. limosum mycelial protein powder were extruded to prepare high-moisture meat analogues (HMMA), and their structural and functional properties were evaluated. Compared with 100% PPI, the addition of 5% mycoprotein enhanced the viscosity, gelling properties, chewiness, fibrous degree and in vitro protein digestibility (68.65%) of HMMA. Protein aggregates formed during high temperature extrusion, which increased the oil absorption capacity of HMMA (5% MY substitution). Conversely, their water absorption capacity indices were reduced by 5%. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the functional application of novel fungal alternative proteins.

Exploring the Phytochemical Compositions, Antioxidant Activity, and Nutritional Potentials of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a valuable source of food and medicine that have been used for centuries in various cultures. They contain a variety of phytochemicals, such as terpenoids and polysaccharides, that exhibit diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antidiabetic effects. However, mushroom's phytochemical composition and bioactivity vary depending on their species, cultivation conditions, processing methods, and extraction techniques. Therefore, using reliable analytical methods and standardized protocols is important for systematically evaluating the quality and quantity of mushroom phytochemicals and their therapeutic potential. This review provides a bibliometric analysis of the recent literature on biological activities, highlights trends in the field, and highlights the countries and journals with the highest contribution. It also discusses the nutritional value of the total content of phenolic and other phytochemicals in some species of mushrooms.

Development of novel heat-treated sausage with Pleurotus ostreatus: Low energy, enhanced bioactivity, reduced amount of meat and fat

The use of Pleurotus ostreatus to reduce calories and increase bioactivity in processed meat products is an increasingly common practice. In this study, a novel sausage containing P. ostreatus was developed based parameters like protein, antioxidants, total phenolic content, cohesiveness, energy, fat, ΔE, hardness, and gumminess values using a D-optimal mixture design. The results showed that over 20% of P. ostreatus could be used in sausage production. Moreover, it was concluded that the optimized sausages contain less fat (33.05%) and meat (18.6%) and therefore have a lower calorie value (19.03%). In addition, P. ostreatus added to the sausage formulation decreased the use of animal raw materials, increased the bioactive properties of the sausages, and did not cause a significant change in the amino acid profile.

The function and application of edible fungal polysaccharides

Edible fungi, commonly known as mushrooms, are precious medicinal and edible homologous gifts from nature to us. Edible fungal polysaccharides (EFPs) are a variety of bioactive macromolecular which isolated from fruiting bodies, mycelia or fermentation broths of edible or medicinal fungus. Increasing researches have confirmed that EFPs possess multiple biological activities both in vitro and in vivo settings, including antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and regulating intestinal flora activities. As a result, they have emerged as a prominent focus in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Fungal EFPs have safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties with low immunogenicity, bioadhesion ability, and antibacterial activities, presenting diverse potential applications in the food industries, cosmetic, biomedical, packaging, and new materials. Moreover, varying raw materials, extraction, purification, chemical modification methods, and culture conditions can result in variances in the structure and biological activities of EFPs. The purpose of this review is to provide comprehensively and systematically organized information on the structure, modification, biological activities, and potential applications of EFPs to support their therapeutic effects and health functions. This review provides new insights and a theoretical basis for prospective investigations and advancements in EFPs in fields such as medicine, food, and new materials.

Effect of Pleurotus eryngii on the Characteristics of Pork Patties during Freezing and Thawing Cycles

Temperature fluctuations severely damage the quality, oxidation stability, and structure of pork patties. This study investigated the potential reasons for Pleurotus eryngii (Pe) to protect frozen pork patties from quality degradation caused by temperature fluctuations and promoted the application of a natural ingredient. In this experiment, the pH, the water holding capacity (WHC), the properties of color and texture, the appearance, the degree of protein and lipid oxidation, and the microstructure of patties with different additions of Pe (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.00%, and 2.00%) were intensified during freezing and thawing (F-T) cycles. The results showed that patties with 0.50% Pe exhibited a distinguishable improvement in the changes of pH, WHC, color, and texture during F-T cycles (p < 0.05). With the times of F-T cycles increasing, 0.50% Pe was able to inhibit lipid oxidation of patties by decreasing the peroxide value (POV) and the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value to 0.87 and 0.66-fold, respectively, compared to those in the control group. It was also able to suppress the protein oxidation of the patties with a protein sulfhydryl content increasing to 1.13-fold and a carbonyl content decreasing to 0.49-fold compared to the patties in the control group (p < 0.05) after 5 F-T cycles. In addition, the figures of appearance and microstructure of samples indicated that 0.50% Pe effectively restrained the deterioration of structure features from patties after 5 F-T cycles. Thus, the addition of Pe effectively maintained the characteristics of pork patties under F-T cycles.

Multiple fingerprint and pattern recognition analysis on polysaccharides of four edible mushrooms

Quality analysis of edible mushrooms based on polysaccharides is generally difficult due to their complicated structures and hard separation. Here, multiple fingerprint analysis of polysaccharides based on chromatographic and spectrometric techniques were developed, and then applied in comparative analysis of Auricularia heimuer (AH), Auricularia cornea (AC), Auricularia cornea 'Yu Muer' (ACY) and Tremella fuciformis (TF). Firstly, polysaccharides were obtained with the molecular weights between 1.783 × 106 and 6.774 × 106 Da. Then, complete hydrolysis by TFA and enzyme digestion by cellulase were employed and subsequently analyzed by HPLC-UV, GC-MS, HILIC-HPLC-ELSD and HILIC-HPLC-ESI--HCD-MS/MS, and ATR-FT-IR were used to characterize the functional groups of intact polysaccharides. By chemometric analysis, differential markers of d-xyl, l-fuc, l-arb, d-glc, disaccharide and hexasaccharide were selected, and AC and ACY were proved to be same species from the viewpoint of polysaccharides firstly. Furthermore, the structures of oligomers with DPs of 2-8 and →4)-β-d-Glcp-(1→ unit with different contents were inferred by combinatory analysis of ESI--MS/MS, glycosidic linkage, monosaccharide compositions and functional groups. In conclusion, the combinatory method of multiple fingerprint and pattern recognition is powerful not only for structural elucidation of polysaccharides, but also for quality analysis and species differentiation of edible mushrooms from the perspective of biological polysaccharides.

A comprehensive review of the application of ultrasonication in the production and processing of edible mushrooms: Drying, extraction of bioactive compounds, and post-harvest preservation

Edible mushrooms are high in nutrients, low in calories, and contain bioactive substances; thus, they are a valuable food source. However, the high moisture content of edible mushrooms not only restricts their storage and transportation after harvesting, but also leads to a shorter processable cycle, production and processing limitations, and a high risk of deterioration. In recent years, ultrasonic technology has been widely applied to various food production operations, including product cleaning, post-harvest preservation, freezing and thawing, emulsifying, and drying. This paper reviews applications of ultrasonic technology in the production and processing of edible mushrooms in recent years. The effects of ultrasonic technology on the drying, extraction of bioactive substances, post-harvest preservation, shelf life/preservation, freezing and thawing, and frying of edible mushrooms are discussed. In summary, the application of ultrasonic technology in the edible mushroom industry has a positive effect and promotes the development of this industry.

A sensory study on consumer valuation for plant-based meat alternatives: What is liked and disliked the most?

The food sector has witnessed a surge in the production of plant-based meat alternatives that aim to mimic various attributes of traditional animal products. However, overall sensory appreciation remains low. This study employed open-ended questions, preference ranking, and an identification question to analyze sensory drivers and barriers to liking four burger patties, i.e., two plant-based (one referred to as pea protein burger and one referred to as animal-like protein burger), one hybrid meat-mushroom, and one 100 % beef burger. Untrained participants (n = 175) were randomly assigned to blind or informed conditions in a between-subject study. The main objective was to evaluate the impact of providing information about the animal/plant-based protein source/type, and to obtain product descriptors and liking/disliking levels from consumers. Results from the ranking tests for blind and informed treatments showed that the animal-like protein was the most preferred product, followed by the 100 % beef burger. Moreover, in the blind condition, there was no significant difference in preferences between the beef burger and the hybrid and pea protein burgers. In the blind tasting, people preferred the pea protein burger over the hybrid one, contrary to the results of the informed tasting, which implies the existence of affecting factors other than pure hedonistic enjoyment. In the identification question, although consumers correctly identified the beef burger under the blind condition, they still preferred the plant-based 'animal-like' burger.

Edible mushrooms as potential functional foods in amelioration of hypertension

Edible mushrooms are popular functional foods attributed to their rich nutritional bioactive constituent profile influencing cardiovascular function. Edible mushrooms are omnipresent in various prescribed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mediterranean diet, and fortified meal plans as they are rich in amino acids, dietary fiber, proteins, sterols, vitamins, and minerals. However, without an understanding of the influence of mushroom bioactive constituents, mechanism of action on heart and allergenicity, it is difficult to fully comprehend the role of mushrooms as dietary interventions in alleviating hypertension and other cardiovascular malfunctions. To accomplish this endeavor, we chose to review edible mushrooms and their bioactive constituents in ameliorating hypertension. Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are interrelated and if the former is managed by dietary changes, it is postulated that overall heart health could also be improved. With a concise note on different edible varieties of mushrooms, a particular focus is presented on the antihypertensive potential of mushroom bioactive constituents, mode of action, absorption kinetics and bioavailability. Ergosterol, lovastatin, cordycepin, tocopherols, chitosan, ergothioneine, γ-aminobutyric acid, quercetin, and eritadenine are described as essential bioactives with hypotensive effects. Finally, safety concerns on allergens and limitations of consuming edible mushrooms with special reference to chemical toxins and their postulated metabolites are highlighted. It is opined that the present review will redirect toxicologists to further investigate mushroom bioactives and allergens, thereby influencing dietary interventions for heart health.

Phosphate alternatives for meat processing and challenges for the industry: A critical review

Meat and meat products provide high levels of nutrition and many health benefits to consumers, yet a controversy exists regarding the use of non-meat additives, such as the inorganic phosphates that are commonly used in meat processing, and particularly their relationship to cardiovascular health and kidney complications. Inorganic phosphates are salts of phosphoric acid (e.g., sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, or calcium phosphate), whereas organic phosphates are ester compounds (e.g., the phospholipids found in cell membranes). In this sense, the meat industry remains active in its efforts to improve formulations for processed meat products with the use of natural ingredients. Despite efforts to improve formulations, many processed meat products still contain inorganic phosphates, which are used for their technological contributions to meat chemistry including improvements in water-holding capacity and protein solubilization. This review provides a thorough evaluation of phosphate substitutes in meat formulations and other processing technologies that can help eliminate phosphates from the formulations of processed meat products. In general, several ingredients have been evaluated as replacements for inorganic phosphates with varying degrees of success such as plant-based ingredients (e.g., starches, fibers, or seeds), fungi ingredients (e.g., mushrooms and mushroom extracts), algae ingredients, animal-based ingredients (e.g., meat/seafood, dairy, or egg materials), and inorganic compounds (i.e., minerals). Although these ingredients have shown some favorable effects in certain meat products, none have exactly matched the many functions of inorganic phosphates, so the support of extrinsic technologies, such as tumbling, ultrasound, high-pressure processing (HPP), and pulsed electric field (PEF), may be necessary to achieve similar physiochemical properties as conventional products. The meat industry should continue to investigate ways to scientifically innovate the formulations of, and the technologies used in, processed meat products while also listening to (and acting upon) the feedback from consumers.

White and honey Chlorella vulgaris: Sustainable ingredients with the potential to improve nutritional value of pork frankfurters without compromising quality

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the chlorophyll-deficient microalgae mutants, honey (yellow) and white Chlorella vulgaris, (3%) on the nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of frankfurters. The presence of microalgae resulted in increased PUFA content and higher PUFA/SFA ratio, but lower n-6/n-3 ratio and lipid indices (P < 0.05). C. vulgaris inclusion in frankfurters increased (P < 0.05) Na, K, Ca, P, and Zn and improved the Na/K ratio, but lowered Mn, and in the case of white C. vulgaris, Cu content, compared to the control. The higher protein content decreased water release from emulsions elaborated with microalgae. White C. vulgaris inclusion decreased cohesiveness and springiness of the frankfurters. Due to the presence of pigment, microalgae inclusion led to a decrease in redness and an increase in yellowness of frankfurters. The presence of microalgae resulted in lower (P < 0.05) bacterial counts and did not affect TBARs during storage. The addition of microalgae in frankfurters produced acceptable sensory characteristics but resulted in lower scores compared to reference products.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction optimization of polyphenols from Boletus bicolor and evaluation of its antioxidant activity

Introduction

Boletus bicolor (B. bicolor) mushrooms are widely consumed as a valuable medicinal and dietary ingredient in China, but the active ingredients of this mushroom and their extraction methods were not extensively studied.

Methods

In this paper, we propose an optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method to detect natural antioxidant substances in B. bicolor. The antioxidants were quantitatively and quantitatively determined using UPLC-MS, the polyphenols were evaluated based on response surface methodology (RSM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed.

Results

The results showed that the optimal extraction was obtained under the following conditions: ethanol concentration 42%; solvent to solid ratio 34:1 mL/g; ultrasonic time 41 min; and temperature 40°C. The optimized experimental polyphenol value obtained under these conditions was (13.69 ± 0.13) mg/g, consistent with the predicted value of 13.72 mg/g. Eight phenolic compounds in the extract were identiffed by UPLC-MS: syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, caffeic acid, and quercetin. Chlorogenic acid exhibits the highest HOMO energy (−0.02744 eV) and the lowest energy difference (−0.23450 eV) among the studied compounds, suggesting that the compound might be the strongest antioxidant molecule. Eight phenolic compounds from the B. bicolor signiffcantly inhibited intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reduced oxidative stress damage in H2O2-induced HepG-2 cells.

Discussion

Therefore, it was confirmed that the UAE technique is an efficient, rapid, and simple approach for extracting polyphenols with antioxidant activity from B. bicolor.

Alternative Protein Sources and Novel Foods: Benefits, Food Applications and Safety Issues

The increasing size of the human population and the shortage of highly valuable proteinaceous ingredients has prompted the international community to scout for new, sustainable, and natural protein resources from invertebrates (e.g., insects) and underutilized legume crops, unexploited terrestrial and aquatic weeds, and fungi. Insect proteins are known for their nutritional value, being rich in proteins with a good balance of essential amino acids and being a valuable source of essential fatty acids and trace elements. Unconventional legume crops were found rich in nutritional, phytochemical, and therapeutic properties, showing excellent abilities to survive extreme environmental conditions. This review evaluates the recent state of underutilized legume crops, aquatic weeds, fungi, and insects intended as alternative protein sources, from ingredient production to their incorporation in food products, including their food formulations and the functional characteristics of alternative plant-based proteins and edible insect proteins as novel foods. Emphasis is also placed on safety issues due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors and allergenic proteins in insects and/or underutilized legumes. The functional and biological activities of protein hydrolysates from different protein sources are reviewed, along with bioactive peptides displaying antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and/or antimicrobial activity. Due to the healthy properties of these foods for the high abundance of bioactive peptides and phytochemicals, more consumers are expected to turn to vegetarianism or veganism in the future, and the increasing demand for such products will be a challenge for the future.

Properties of Texturized Vegetable Proteins from Edible Mushrooms by Using Single-Screw Extruder

This research aimed to determine the feasibility of using mushrooms as an alternative ingredient in texturized vegetable protein (TVP) production using a single-screw extruder. TVPs from King Oyster (TVP-KO) and Pheonix mushroom (TVP-PH) were successfully developed and characterized. The visual appearance of TVP was reddish-brown, with a distinct roasted mushroom-soybean aroma. When rehydrated and cooked, both TVPs provided a minced meat-like appearance and chewy meat texture comparable to commercial TVP (TVP-Com); however, they had inferior water and oil holding and rehydration capacities. TVPs contained comparable protein content to TVP-Com (45–47 wt%), slightly lower carbohydrate content (33–36 wt% vs. 39 wt%), and ash (3–4 wt% vs. 8 wt%), but higher lipid content (7–8 wt% vs. 0.84 wt%) than TVP-Com. Sai-aua prepared from TVP-KO gained the highest overall acceptability. Mushrooms proved to be a potential source for TVP production due to their availability, low cost, nutritional value, and health benefits. Moreover, this finding helps add value to traditional meat products, which offer an opportunity for developing non-animal products with satisfactory sensory properties and low cost. In addition, the study would provide scientific resources for developing plant-based meat products that address health awareness and economic and environmental sustainability concerns.

Effect of Partial Meat Replacement by Hibiscus sabdariffa By-Product and Pleurotus djamor Powder on the Quality of Beef Patties

The effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle; Hs) by-product (2-5%) and Pleurotus djamor (pink oyster; Pd) powder (5-7.5%) as meat replacers on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of beef patties were analyzed. The addition of these non-meat ingredients significantly decreased moisture and increased fiber content, and did not affect the protein level of the product. The antioxidant effect of the roselle by-product was limited, while Pleurotus djamor favored the oxidation processes. The samples supplemented with roselle by-product and mushroom powder presented significantly lower microbial counts (total viable counts, enterobacteria, and Pseudomonas) than control, but texture and sensorial parameters were significantly affected. The patties darkened due to the presence of the Hibiscus by-product, while the color of the samples containing 5% Pleurotus djamor was hardly modified. These samples, together with the control samples, were the most sensorially appreciated. The addition of these ingredients provoked a decrease in texture parameters, being less pronounced in the samples with only 2% of roselle by-product. In spite of the good antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Hibiscus by-products, its inclusion in meat should be moderate (2-2.5%) to avoid consumer rejection when Pleurotus djamor is also included in the formulation.

Variations of nonvolatile taste components of mushrooms with different operating conditions and parameters from farm to fork

Mushroom is a sustainable food option and a meat substitute which yet needs some strategies to enhance sensory attributes. Especially, their taste characteristics (nonvolatile taste components: soluble sugars, organic acids, free amino acids, and 5'-nucleotides) can vary significantly due to operating conditions and parameters during different stages from farm to fork. This review is aimed to provide an overall view of the determined effects of operating conditions and parameters for mushroom taste attributes, suggestions for future research from lacking variables, and some recommendations for improving the taste perception of mushrooms. Taste compounds of mushrooms alter differently based on cultivation (species, cultivation or maturity stage, substrate composition, part, grade, mycelium strain), cooking (cooking method, time, temperature), preservation, and post-harvest storage conditions (drying parameters, pretreatment, preservation method, gamma irradiation, packaging, storage time and temperature). The dominant tastes of mushrooms given by sweet and umami taste active substances can be enhanced significantly with proper control of parameters during cultivation, cooking, drying, or post-harvest storage. The parameters and variations organized in this review can be used to develop a mathematical model for obtaining optimum taste attributes of mushrooms and mushroom-based meat alternatives and to discover the variables of mushroom species not studied yet.

Main animal fat replacers for the manufacture of healthy processed meat products

The technological, sensory, and nutritional characteristics of meat products are directly related to their animal fat content. Adding animal fat to meat products significantly influences their sensory properties, such as color, taste, and aroma. In addition, the physicochemical properties of fat decisively contribute to the texture of meat products, playing a fundamental role in improving the properties of viscosity, creaminess, chewiness, cohesiveness, and hardness. However, meat products' high animal fat content makes them detrimental to a healthy diet. Therefore, reducing the fat content of meat products is an urgent need, but it is a challenge for researchers and the meat industry. The fat reduction in meat products without compromising the product's quality and with minor impacts on the production costs is not a simple task. Thus, strategies to reduce the fat content of meat products should be studied with caution. During the last decades, several fat replacers were tested, but among all of them, the use of flours and fibers, hydrocolloids, mushrooms, and some animal proteins (such as whey and collagen) presented promising results. Additionally, multiple strategies to gel oils of vegetable origin are also a current topic of study, and these have certain advantages such as their appearance (attempts to imitate animal fat), while also improving the nutritional profile of the lipid fraction of the products meat. However, each of these fat substitutes has both advantages and limitations in their use, which will be discussed in subsequent sections. Therefore, due to the growing interest in this issue, this review focuses on the main substitutes for animal fat used in the production of meat products, offering detailed and updated information on the latest discoveries and advances in this area.

A Comparative Study on the Effect of Ultrasound-Treated Apple Pomace and Coffee Silverskin Powders as Phosphate Replacers in Irish Breakfast Sausage Formulations

Ultrasound (US) technology can be used to improve the techno-functional properties of food ingredients, such as apple pomace (AP) and coffee silverskin (CSS), which can be used in meat products to enhance their quality. This study evaluated the changes produced by US-treated AP and CSS, when used as phosphate replacers, in the physicochemical properties of Irish breakfast sausages, i.e., their water holding capacity (WHC), cook loss, emulsion stability, proximate content, lipid oxidation, color, and textural parameters. Three sausage formulations with reduced phosphate concentrations were used to study the effect of US-treated AP and CSS, and an interactive relationship between US treatment and formulations using two-way ANOVA. The results showed that the addition of US-treated AP and CSS to all the formulations produced a significant interactive effect that increased the WHC (p < 0.05) and emulsion stability (p < 0.05), decreased cook loss (p < 0.05), and increased day 9 TBARS (p < 0.05) values of specific formulations. No significant changes were observed for the parameters of; color, texture, or proximate content values. Thus, this study demonstrated that the addition of US-treated AP and CSS improved the quality of phosphate-reduced sausages.

Effect of Oudemansiella raphanipies Powder on Physicochemical and Textural Properties, Water Distribution and Protein Conformation of Lower-Fat Pork Meat Batter

The effects of the addition of different amounts (0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%) of Oudemansiella raphanipies powder (ORP) to lower-fat pork batter on its physicochemical, textural and rheological properties, water distribution and protein conformation were evaluated. The results showed that the addition of ORP from 0% to 4% significantly decreased the pH and L* value of pork batter (p < 0.05); however, it also increased the a* value and enhanced the cooking yield of pork batter from 77% to 92%. Pork batter with 1−2% ORP added had an improved texture profile and a higher storage modulus (G’), but the addition of 3−4% ORP resulted in an inferior texture of pork batter and G’. LF-NMR showed that the addition of ORP significantly increased the peak area ratio of immobile water and reduced the peak area ratio of free water (p < 0.05). ORP significantly affected protein secondary structure of pork batter. The α-helix content of pork batter with 1−2% ORP decreased and β-sheet content increased. Overall, the addition level of 1−2% ORP effectively improved the texture and water holding capacity of lower-fat emulsified sausage and provides a new reference for developing nutritional meat products.

Optimization of Osmotic Dehydration of White Mushrooms by Response Surface Methodology for Shelf-Life Extension and Quality Improvement of Frozen End-Products

Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), one of the most common edible mushroom species, are sensitive to damages because of the absence of a protective skin layer and have a limited shelf life. Osmotic dehydration (OD), mainly used as a pre-processing step of conventional preservation methods, has been proposed as an efficient, mild treatment to preserve mushroom superior quality. In this study, response surface methodology, coupled with a Box–Behnken design, was used to investigate the effect of glycerol concentration (30–50%), temperature (30–50 °C), and duration of osmosis (0–180 min) in order to optimize the process prior to a subsequent freezing step. For each response, including mass transfer and selected quality indices, a second-order polynomial model was developed, and all process factors were found to have a significant impact. Based on the desirability approach and pre-set criteria, optimum operating conditions were estimated, namely osmosis at 50 °C, for 120 min, with a 42% glycerol solution, and the corresponding validation experiments were performed. Based on the error estimated between experimental and predicted values, polynomial equations were found to adequately predict parameter values. Based on a shelf-life test under frozen storage, OD-treated samples retained better quality attributes compared to their untreated counterparts.

Simultaneous Mass Spectrometric Detection of Proteins of Ten Oilseed Species in Meat Products

Food fraud is a common issue in the modern food industry. The undeclared use of foreign proteins in meat products is a major concern in this context. Oilseeds are ideal for this purpose due to their high protein content and since huge amounts of oil meal are obtained as a by-product of oil production. Therefore, a UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous detection of chia, coconut, flaxseed, hemp, peanut, pumpkin, rapeseed, sesame, soy, and sunflower proteins in meat products. Potential tryptic peptide markers were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The final twenty peptide markers selected, which are specific for one of the ten species targeted, were each measured by multiple reaction monitoring. To the best of our knowledge, twelve new heat-stable marker peptides for chia, coconut, flaxseed, pumpkin, rapeseed, sesame and sunflower have not been reported previously. Emulsion-type sausages with 0.01, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00% protein addition by each oilseed species were produced for matrix calibration. No false-positive results were recorded. In the quantification of the ten oilseed species, 466 of 480 measuring data points of the recovery rate in unknown sausages (0.15 and 0.85% protein addition by each oilseed species) were in the accepted range of 80–120%.

Effects of Pleurotus ostreatus on Physicochemical Properties and Residual Nitrite of the Pork Sausage

In this work, a novel sausage incorporated with the Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) puree was successfully developed to reduce the residual nitrite and lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C) for 20 days. Five recipes with the supplement proportion of 0 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.%, and 40 wt.% PO were produced and their physicochemical properties, nitrite residue, and sensory characteristics were measured. The results show that the content of moisture and all the essential amino acids (especially lysine and leucine) and the non-essential amino acids (especially aspartic and glutamic), lightness, springiness, and water holding capacity of the sausages were increased. However, the content of protein, fat, ash, pH, redness, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the sausages was decreased. For the sensory evaluation, the sausage with 20 wt.% PO had better sensory performance including flavor, aroma, and acceptability compared with other experimental groups and the control group. Moreover, the sausages with PO reduced the residual nitrite and inhibited lipid oxidation during storage. All of these results indicate that adding PO puree into pork sausage is a realizable and effective way to obtain nutritional and healthy pork sausages.

Pleurotus Genus as a Potential Ingredient for Meat Products

Edible mushrooms are considered an important source of nutritional and bioactive compounds. In this review, the findings of macronutrients, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobials against foodborne pathogens of some Pleurotus spp., as well as their potential use as an ingredient in the meat industry are discussed. The results show that Pleurotus spp. are an important source of proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Additionally, the presence of some bioactive components, such as polysaccharides (α-glucans, β-glucans, and so on), proteins/enzymes and peptides (eryngin, pleurostrin, and others) phenolic acids (p-coumaric, chlorogenic, cinnamic, ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic, and others) and flavonoids (chrysin, naringenin, myricetin, quercetin, rutin, or the like) has been demonstrated. Several works evidenced the use of Pleurotus spp. in some meat and meat products (patties, sausages, paste, and suchlike) as a novel ingredient in order to improve their chemical composition and functional health promoting properties, as well as to increase their physicochemical and sensory attributes. In conclusion, the use of Pleurotus is a promissory strategy for the development of natural additives rich in nutritional and bioactive components for meat and meat product formulation.

A RESEARCH ON QUALITY EVALUATION OF EIGHT WILD EDIBLE MACROFUNGI COLLECTED FROM EAST MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF TURKEY

Eight edible macrofungal species ( Suillus collinitus, Rhizopogon roseolus, Lactarius sanguifluus, Lycoperdon molle, Ganoderma adspersum, Pleurotus cornucopiae, Lycoperdon perlatum, Macrolepiota procera ) grown in Osmaniye were studied. Besides the evaluation of fresh forms, the mushrooms were dried at 40˚C, and the color, texture, protein and mineral contents, and bioactivities (total phenolic content, (TPC) and antioxidant activities by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS techniques) were determined. The protein, macro and micro mineral contents of dried samples were in range of 11.31-55.31%, 132.75-50844.80 and 0.30-812.05 mg/kg, respectively. TPC of fresh samples were 10227.13-42216.89 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/kg dry matter (DM) in methanolic solution, 3625.31-28809.99 mg GAE/kg DM in ethanolic solution, and decreased by drying process. ABTS method yielded higher results in fresh specimens, however DPPH method in ethanol and FRAP method in methanol were the superior in dried forms.

Recent advances in the development of healthier meat products

Meat products are an excellent source of high biological value proteins, in addition to the high content of minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. However, meat products contain compounds that can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to humans. In this sense, this chapter will address recent strategies to assist in the development of healthier meat products. The main advances about the reduction of sodium and animal fat in meat products will be presented. In addition, strategies to make the lipid profile of meat products more nutritionally advantageous for human health will also be discussed. Finally, the reduction of substances of safety concern in meat products will be addressed, including phosphates, nitrites, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic aromatic amines, as well as products from lipid and protein oxidation.