Nutritional Value of Meat and Meat Products and Their Role in Human Health

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2024 | Viewed by 2911

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Department of Animal Raw Materials Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: dry-cured meat products; probiotic meat products; biogenic amines in food; bioactive peptides in meat and meat products
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Dear Colleagues,

Meat and meat products are ranked among the most nutritious food items available to humans, aiding in fulfilling most of their body requirements. They are an important source of energy and a range of nutrients, such as essential amino acids, minerals (iron, zinc, selenium), vitamins (B12, folic acid), and bioactive compounds (taurine, carnitine, carnosine, ubiquinone, glutathione and creatine). Meat and meat products exert a vital role in human evolution and are important components of a healthy and well-balanced diet. On the other hand, meat consumption, especially of red and processed meat (grilled, cured, smoked), is currently an area of scientific controversy and confusion as regards the relationship between their consumption and health outcomes, such as increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and colon cancer.

I invite you to publish original research papers and reviews on topics presenting current knowledge on the nutritional value and health effects of meat and meat products.

I believe that this Special issue will broaden the horizons of our knowledge on the role of meat and meat products in the human health.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Nutrients

Prof. Dr. Joanna Stadnik
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • meat
  • processed meat
  • nutritional value of meat
  • health benefits
  • cardiovascular disease
  • cancer

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 574 KiB  
Article
Carcass Yields and Meat Composition of Roosters of the Portuguese Autochthonous Poultry Breeds: “Branca”, “Amarela”, “Pedrês Portuguesa”, and “Preta Lusitânica”
by Márcio Meira, Isabel M. Afonso, Rebeca Cruz, Júlio Cesar Lopes, Raquel S. Martins, Jéssica Domingues, Virgínia Ribeiro, Rui Dantas, Susana Casal and Nuno V. Brito
Foods 2023, 12(21), 4020; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12214020 - 03 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1017
Abstract
Poultry meat is an important part of the human diet, and the valorisation of autochthonous breeds is a determinant for the sustainability of the rural areas. The increasing demand for niche products demands for better knowledge of the carcass characteristics and meat quality [...] Read more.
Poultry meat is an important part of the human diet, and the valorisation of autochthonous breeds is a determinant for the sustainability of the rural areas. The increasing demand for niche products demands for better knowledge of the carcass characteristics and meat quality of these local populations. The present study aims to characterise the roosters’ meat from the “Branca” (BR), “Amarela” (AM), “Pedrês Portuguesa” (PP), and “Preta Lusitânica” (PL) breeds. A total of 80 birds (n = 20 per breed) between 38 and 42 weeks old were slaughtered. The physicochemical and nutritional composition were determined in the breast and drumstick meat. The meat of the PL breed had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) pH value, the AM meat revealed a water-holding capacity (WHC) of superior value and moisture content (p ≤ 0.05), while the BR breed had the highest (p ≤ 0.05) ash content. On the other hand, it was observed that the PP meat had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) yellowness index (b*). The breast meat exhibited, in all breeds, a lower pH value, WHC, redness (a*), and lipid content and greater (p ≤ 0.05) lightness (L*), b*, moisture, and ash and protein contents compared to the drumstick. Furthermore, it presented higher (p ≤ 0.05) K, P, and Mg contents and a superior proportion of total and sensorial relevant amino acids. Regarding the fatty acid profile, the breed differences were more significant in the drumstick, with the AM breed lipids presenting a higher (p ≤ 0.05) percentage of MUFAs in the fat, a lower atherogenic index, and a higher (p ≤ 0.05) value for the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids ratio, while the BR breed lipids presented a higher (p ≤ 0.05) percentage of PUFAs and PUFAs/SFAs ratio and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio. Considering the results obtained, it can be concluded that the meat from these breeds is a wholesome dietary option, distinguished by a favourable overall nutritional composition marked by elevated protein content, reduced lipid amounts, and amino and fatty acid profiles with desirable nutritional indices. Full article
16 pages, 811 KiB  
Article
Nutrition Value of Baked Meat Products Fortified with Lyophilized Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus undatus)
by Paulina Kęska, Patrycja Gazda, Łukasz Siłka, Katarzyna Mazurek and Joanna Stadnik
Foods 2023, 12(19), 3550; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193550 - 24 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1497
Abstract
This study evaluates the nutritional value of a baked pork meat product containing lyophilized dragon fruit pulp. The selected nutritional properties of a baked pork meat product fortified with lyophilized Hylocereus undatus pulp in doses of 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 4% were evaluated. [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the nutritional value of a baked pork meat product containing lyophilized dragon fruit pulp. The selected nutritional properties of a baked pork meat product fortified with lyophilized Hylocereus undatus pulp in doses of 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 4% were evaluated. For this assessment, changes in the basic chemical composition of the products, the content of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and phosphorus, and the profile of fatty acids were considered. Additionally, characteristics typical for meat products, such as pH, water activity, oxidation-reduction potential or thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and antioxidant properties of the product during 21 days of refrigerated storage, were assessed. The findings indicate that the use of higher doses of lyophilizate, i.e., in the amounts of 2.5% and 4%, significantly (p < 0.05) increases the nutritional value of meat products, leading to an increase in the concentration of essential minerals important for the proper functioning of the human body (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron). These changes occurred without affecting the basic chemical composition (except for an increase in the content of fat and carbohydrates in the sample with the addition of 4% lyophilizate). The introduction of the fortification treatment improved the fatty acid profile, resulting in an increase in the content of C14:0, C16:0, C20:0, and C20:5n3. In addition, in the variant with a 4% dosage, there was an increased content of C8:0, C10:0, C16:1n7, C18:0, C18:1n9C + C18:1n9t, and C18:2n6C + C18:2n6t, C18:3n3 (alpha), C20:1n15, and C20:1n9. In this particular variant, an increase in saturated-, monounsaturated-, and polyunsaturated fatty acids was also observed, which was associated with an increased level of TBARS in meat products. However, the increase in the dose of lyophilizate caused an increase in the antiradical effect of meat extracts. Based on the results obtained, it seems reasonable to use a plant additive in the form of lyophilized dragon fruit pulp in the amount of 4.0% in the production of pork meat products. Full article
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