Improvement of the quality and the shelf life of reduced-nitrites turkey meat sausages incorporated with carotenoproteins from blue crabs shells

Natural alternatives for processed meat: Legislation, markets, consumers, opportunities and challenges

Consumers' interest in food with less and/or free from synthetic additives has increased considerably in recent years. In this context, researchers and industries have concentrated efforts on developing alternatives to these compounds. Replacing synthetic additives in meat products is a challenge, given their importance for sensory characteristics and food safety. Complementary technologies combined with the replacement and/or reduction of synthetic additives (hurdle technologies) has been studied focusing on the protection and extension of the shelf life of meat products. This review reports alternatives for replacing and/or reducing the use of synthetic additives in meat derivatives, aiming at the development of more natural and simpler meat products, familiar to consumers and considered clean labels.

Use of Tremella as Fat Substitute for the Enhancement of Physicochemical and Sensory Profiles of Pork Sausage

Pork fat in sausage was replaced by tremella at different proportions during the process, and the physicochemical and sensory profiles of pork sausage were evaluated. Five recipes with the replacement proportion of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% tremella were manufactured, and their proximate compositions, water activities, textures, colors, water holding capacities (WHC), and amino acid compositions were investigated. The results showed that the protein, ash and moisture content, lightness, redness, and WHC of pork sausages were increased (p < 0.05), and textural profile analysis (TPA) and sensory quality of the sausage were improved (p < 0.05). In addition, the content of essential amino acids (lysine and isoleucine) and the non-essential amino acids (proline and tyrosine) of sausages were increased (p < 0.05). The sausage had the best sensory performance when the replacement ratio of tremella was 75%. These results indicated that replacing fat with tremella could be a valid way to obtain nutritional and healthy sausage.

Technological Applications of Natural Colorants in Food Systems: A Review

Natural colorants have emerged as an alternative to their synthetic counterparts due to an existing health concern of these later. Moreover, natural-food colorants are a renewable option providing health benefits and interesting technological and sensory attributes to the food systems containing them. Several sources of natural colorants have been explored aiming to deliver the required wide color range demanded by consumers. This review aimed to compare and discuss the technological applications of the main natural-food colorants into food system in the last six years, giving additional information about their extraction process. Although natural colorants are promising choices to replace synthetic ones, optimization of processing conditions, research on new sources, and new formulations to ensure stability are required to equate their properties to their synthetic counterparts.

A novel blue crab chitosan/protein composite hydrogel enriched with carotenoids endowed with distinguished wound healing capability: In vitro characterization and in vivo assessment

This work aimed to the development of chitosan and protein isolate composite hydrogels, for carotenoids-controlled delivery and wound healing. By increasing the concentration of the protein isolate, chitosan hydrogels were more elastic at a protein isolate concentration not exceeding 15% (w/w). Chitosan-protein isolate composite hydrogels revealed low cytotoxicity towards MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. Thanks to its appropriate structural, swelling and mechanical resistance properties, chitosan hydrogel (3%; w/v), reinforced with 15% (w/w) of protein isolate, was selected for the carotenoids in vitro release study. Release profiles, show delivery patterns, where carotenoids were more barely released at a pH 7.4 medium (p < .05), compared to more acidic microenvironments (pH 4.0 and pH 2.0). Thus, developed hydrogels could be applied as pH-sensitive intelligent carriers, for drugs-controlled release, with interesting antioxidant abilities. The in vivo healing potential of hydrogels in rats' models was further studied. Topical application of hydrogel-based patches allowed the acceleration of wound healing and the complete healing, for composite hydrogel enriched with carotenoids.

Effects of the Use of Staphylococcus carnosus in the Curing Process of Meat with a Reduced Amount of Sodium Nitrite on Colour, Residue Nitrite and Nitrate, Content of Nitrosyl Pigments, and Microbiological and the Sensory Quality of Cooked Meat Product

The aim of the work was to apply the bacteria Staphylococcus carnosus ATCC 51365 in the meat curing process with the use of a reduced amount of sodium nitrite and to evaluate the effects of bacteria on residual nitrites and nitrates, the content of nitrosyl pigments, colour, pH, oxidation-reduction potential, microbiological, and the sensory quality of a cooked meat product. Three meat batters in cans were prepared: (C) a control batter cured with NaNO2—100 mg/kg, (L) a batter cured with NaNO2—15 mg/kg, and (LS) a batter cured with NaNO2—15 mg/kg and S. carnosus (107 CFU/g). The cans were stored at a temperature of 4°C for 24 h (curing time) and cooked. The analysis was carried out after production and after 4 and 8 weeks of storage. The use of denitrifying bacteria in the curing process with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite increased the availability of nitrite in the meat, by reducing nitrates formed as a result of a dismutation reaction. The reaction contributed to the formation of nitrosyl pigments in a larger quantity than in the treatment in which the denitrifying bacteria were not used. The LS treatment was characterized by the greatest redness. The colour of the LS treatment was stable during storage. No negative effect of S. carnosus on the sensory quality of the meat product was found. The use of S. carnosus had no influence on the microbiological quality of meat product during storage.