Microencapsulation of healthier oils: an efficient strategy to improve the lipid profile of meat products

Biofortification of Plant- and Animal-Based Foods in Limiting the Problem of Microelement Deficiencies-A Narrative Review

With a burgeoning global population, meeting the demand for increased food production presents challenges, particularly concerning mineral deficiencies in diets. Micronutrient shortages like iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, and magnesium carry severe health implications, especially in developing nations. Biofortification of plants and plant products emerges as a promising remedy to enhance micronutrient levels in food. Utilizing agronomic biofortification, conventional plant breeding, and genetic engineering yields raw materials with heightened micronutrient contents and improved bioavailability. A similar strategy extends to animal-derived foods by fortifying eggs, meat, and dairy products with micronutrients. Employing "dual" biofortification, utilizing previously enriched plant materials as a micronutrient source for livestock, proves an innovative solution. Amid biofortification research, conducting in vitro and in vivo experiments is essential to assess the bioactivity of micronutrients from enriched materials, emphasizing digestibility, bioavailability, and safety. Mineral deficiencies in human diets present a significant health challenge. Biofortification of plants and animal products emerges as a promising approach to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies, necessitating further research into the utilization of biofortified raw materials in the human diet, with a focus on bioavailability, digestibility, and safety.

Strategies for Healthier Meat Foods: An Overview

Functional food products remain the focus of current market trends toward healthier nutrition. The consumption of meat-based functional foods has been a topic of interest in food innovation since some of these products generate controversy due to their possible adverse effects on health. However, studies have demonstrated that meat-based functional products are considered an opportunity to improve the nutritional profile of meat products through the addition of biologically valuable components and to meet the specific needs of consumers. In this sense, some strategies and techniques are applied for processing and developing functional meat products, such as modifying carcass composition through feeding, reformulating meat products, and processing conditions. This review focuses on presenting developed and evaluated strategies that allow the production of healthy and functional meat foods, which application has successfully achieved the sensory, nutritional, and technological parameters mainly affected by such application.

A Comparative Study of Freshwater Fish Burgers Made from Three Amazonian Species: Omega 3 Fortification and Sodium Reduction

This study aimed to formulate burgers made from three Amazonian fish species: pacu (Pyaractus brachypomus), boquichico (Prochilodus nigricans), and bujurqui (Chaetobranchus flavescens), focusing on sodium reduction and fortification with fish oil microparticles (FOM) rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The proximal composition, sodium and calcium content, instrumental texture profile, fatty acid profile, sensory profile, and overall liking were evaluated. Differences in proximal composition and fatty acid profiles between the fillets were reflected in the burgers. Fortification with FOM increased EPA and DHA in the burgers; thus, they can be considered "high in omega-3 fatty acids" and reduced the n-6/n-3 ratio below 4. There were sensory attributes that could be related to lipid oxidation but reduced overall liking for less than 10% of consumers. Nevertheless, certain sensory attributes (grilled, characteristic, aromatic, tasty, tender, and juicy) had a positive impact on the overall liking of more than 20% of consumers, yielding adequate scores (between 5.60 and 5.71) on the 9-point hedonic scale. The production process must be optimized by knowing the fish fillet quality in depth, improving the FOM and burgers' oxidative stability, and achieving an adequate sensory and hedonic profile by employing consumers' vocabulary to characterize new products.

Chia Oil Microencapsulation Using Tannic Acid and Soy Protein Isolate as Wall Materials

The use of proteins to produce oil-containing microcapsules has been previously analyzed; however, their chemical modification, in order to improve their performance as wall materials, is a strategy that has not been widely developed yet. This study aimed to analyze the chemical modification of the proteins through cross-linking reactions with tannic acid and to evaluate their performance as wall materials to the microencapsulation of oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The cross-linking reaction of isolated soy protein and tannic acid was carried out at pH 10-11 and 60 °C. Subsequently, emulsions were made with a high-speed homogenizer and microcapsules were obtained by spray drying. Microcapsules were characterized by particle size, morphology (SEM), total pore area and % porosity (mercury intrusion methodology), superficial properties (contact angle), and size distribution of oil droplets (by laser diffraction). Additionally, encapsulation efficiency was determined as a function of total and surface oil. Oil chemical stability and quality were studied by Rancimat, hydroperoxide values, and fatty acid profiles. In addition, a storage test was performed for 180 days, and released oil and polyphenols were determined by in vitro gastric digestion. Moreover, the fatty acid composition of the oil and the total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of polyphenols were analyzed. The results showed that spray-dried microcapsules had an encapsulation efficiency between 54 and 78%. The oxidative stability exhibited a positive correlation between the amount of polyphenols used and the induction time, with a maximum of 27 h. The storage assay showed that the peroxide value was lower for those cross-linked microcapsules concerning control after 180 days. After the storage time, the omega-3 content was reduced by 49% for soy protein samples, while cross-linked microcapsules maintained the initial concentration. The in-vitro digestion assay showed a decrease in the amount of oil released from the cross-linked microcapsules and an increase in the amount of polyphenols and a higher antioxidant capacity for all samples (for example, 238.10 mgGAE/g and 554.22 mg TE/g for undigested microcapsules with TA 40% versus 322.09 mgGAE/g and 663.61 mg TE/g for digested samples). The microcapsules showed a high degree of protection of the encapsulated oil, providing a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS) and polyphenols even in prolonged storage times.

Elevating meat products: Unleashing novel gel techniques for enhancing lipid profiles

Rising health concerns and the diet-health link drive demand for healthier foods, prompting meat manufacturers to reformulate traditional products. These manufacturers have reduced fat content to enhance nutritional quality, which is essential for maintaining desired product features. As a result, numerous strategies have emerged over recent decades to decrease fat and enhance the lipid profiles of meat products. Among these strategies, using hydrocolloids, emulsification, encapsulation, or gelation of oils to produce fat substitutes stands out. Using gels allows fat replacers with characteristics similar to animal fat (similar rheological, physical, or appearance properties) but with a much healthier lipid profile (by incorporating highly unsaturated oils). Therefore, this manuscript aims to comprehensively describe the main fat replacers used to prepare meat products. In addition, an in-depth review of the latest studies (2022-2023) that use novel gels to reform meat products has been made, indicating in each case the implications that the reformulation produces at a physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory level. Given the reported results, it seems clear that the strategy of using bigels or emulgels is very promising and allows obtaining nutritionally highly improved meat products without affecting their sensory or physicochemical properties. However, the best conditions to obtain a novel gel suitable for use as a fat substitute for each meat product still need to be studied and correctly defined. Moreover, these advancements can pave the way for more extensive studies on using novel gel techniques in other food industries, expanding their applicability and leading to healthier consumer options across various food categories.

Jabuticaba peel extract and nisin: A promising combination for reducing sodium nitrite in Bologna-type sausages

This study investigated the effect of a 50% reduction in sodium nitrite and the addition of nisin (200 mg/kg) and different concentrations (0, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%) of jabuticaba peel extract (JPE) on the main attributes affected by this chemical additive in Bologna-type sausages. The modified treatments showed approximately 50% lower residual nitrite than the control throughout the storage (60 days at 4 °C). The proposed reformulation did not affect the color (L*, a*, and b*), and the ΔE values (< 2) demonstrated high color stability during storage. Physicochemical (TBARS and volatile compounds) and sensory analyses performed to evaluate oxidative stability indicated that JPE exhibited antioxidant activity comparable to sodium nitrite. The microbiological quality of the reformulated products was similar to the control, but further studies should be conducted to assess the effect of this reformulation strategy on the growth of pathogenic microorganisms impacted by nitrite.

Replacing Animal Fat with Gels of Psyllium Fiber and Combined Linseed Oil-Psyllium Fiber in Salamis: Impacts on Technological, Nutritional, Oxidative, and Sensory Properties

This study produced two gels: one solely using psyllium fiber (GP) and another combining this fiber with linseed oil (GL+P). Both gels replaced 15% and 30% of the animal fat content of salamis. The objective was to evaluate the impact of this lipid reformulation on the technological, nutritional, oxidative, and sensory properties of the salamis. The lipid reformulation did not alter the evolution of pH and lactic acid bacteria during processing. The addition of GL+P did not interfere with the product's drying process. However, replacing 30% of animal fat with the GP resulted in greater weight loss and a lower final Aw value. The lipid reformulation minimally affected the color of the salamis but significantly enhanced their nutritional profile. This improvement was marked by a decrease in fat content and an increase in protein. Specifically, in the samples with GL+P, there was a rise in linolenic acid content and a reduction in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. Adding GP did not affect the salamis' oxidative stability and sensory profile. However, substituting 30% of the animal fat with GL+P increased the TBARS values, and volatile compounds derived from lipid oxidation hampered the products' sensory profiles. A reduction in these negative effects was observed when replacing 15% of the fat with GL+P, suggesting this to be the ideal dosage for balancing the nutritional benefits with maintaining the product's oxidative stability.

Dragon's Blood Sap Microencapsulation within Whey Protein Concentrate and Zein Using Electrospraying Assisted by Pressurized Gas Technology

Dragon's blood sap (DBS) obtained from the bark of Croton lechleri (Müll, Arg.) is a complex herbal remedy of pharmacological interest due to its high content in polyphenols, specifically proanthocyanidins. In this paper, electrospraying assisted by pressurized gas (EAPG) was first compared with freeze-drying to dry natural DBS. Secondly, EAPG was used for the first time to entrap natural DBS at room temperature into two different encapsulation matrices, i.e., whey protein concentrate (WPC) and zein (ZN), using different ratios of encapsulant material: bioactive compound, for instance 2:1 w/w and 1:1 w/w. The obtained particles were characterized in terms of morphology, total soluble polyphenolic content (TSP), antioxidant activity, and photo-oxidation stability during the 40 days of the experiment. Regarding the drying process, EAPG produced spherical particles with sizes of 11.38 ± 4.34 µm, whereas freeze-drying produced irregular particles with a broad particle size distribution. However, no significant differences were detected between DBS dried by EAPG or freeze-drying in TSP, antioxidant activity, and photo-oxidation stability, confirming that EAPG is a mild drying process suitable to dry sensitive bioactive compounds. Regarding the encapsulation process, the DBS encapsulated within the WPC produced smooth spherical microparticles, with average sizes of 11.28 ± 4.28 µm and 12.77 ± 4.54 µm for ratios 1:1 w/w and 2:1 w/w, respectively. The DBS was also encapsulated into ZN producing rough spherical microparticles, with average sizes of 6.37 ± 1.67 µm and 7.58 ± 2.54 µm for ratios 1:1 w/w and 2:1 w/w, respectively. The TSP was not affected during the encapsulation process. However, a slight reduction in antioxidant activity measured by DPPH was observed during encapsulation. An accelerated photo-oxidation test under ultraviolet light confirmed that the encapsulated DBS showed an increased oxidative stability in comparison with the non-encapsulated DBS, with the stability being enhanced for the ratio of 2:1 w/w. Among the encapsulating materials and according to the ATR-FTIR results, ZN showed increased protection against UV light. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of EAPG technology in the drying or encapsulation of sensitive natural bioactive compounds in a continuous process available at an industrial scale, which could be an alternative to freeze-drying.

Healthier Oils: A New Scope in the Development of Functional Meat and Dairy Products: A Review

In the present day, it has been widely established that a high intake of animal fat that contains a high content of saturated fatty acids may cause several life-threatening diseases, including obesity, diabetes-type 2, cardiovascular diseases, as well as several types of cancer. In this context, a great number of health organizations and government agencies have launched campaigns to reduce the saturated fat content in foods, which has prompted the food industry, which is no stranger to this problem, to start working to develop foods with a lower fat content or with a different fatty acid profile. Nevertheless, this is not an easy task due to the fact that saturated fat plays a very important role in food processing and in the sensorial perception of foods. Actually, the best way to replace saturated fat is with the use of structured vegetable or marine oils. The main strategies for structuring oils include pre-emulsification, microencapsulation, the development of gelled emulsions, and the development of oleogels. This review will examine the current literature on the different (i) healthier oils and (ii) strategies that will be potentially used by the food industry to reduce or replace the fat content in several food products.

Plant Antioxidants in Dry Fermented Meat Products with a Healthier Lipid Profile

Consumers' perception of meat products has changed in recent years, which has led to an increased interest in healthier meat products. In response to this demand, academia and industry have made efforts to reformulate meat products, especially dry fermented meat products, which are known for their high fat contents, mainly saturated fat. The use of plant or marine oils stabilized in emulsion gels (EGs) or oil-bulking agents (OBAs) as animal fat replacers has been one of the most advantageous strategies to reformulate dry fermented meat products with a healthier lipid content (quality and quantity), but an increase in their polyunsaturated fatty acid content can trigger a significant increase in lipid oxidation, negatively affecting sensory and nutritional quality. The use of antioxidants is the main strategy to delay this deteriorative reaction, but the controversy around the safety and toxicity of synthetic antioxidants has driven consumers and industry toward the use of plant antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and some vitamins and minerals. This review provides information about the use of plant antioxidants to control lipid oxidation of dry fermented meat products with healthier lipids.

Microencapsulated Healthy Oil Mixtures to Enhance the Quality of Foal Pâtés

This study aimed to evaluate the use of microencapsulated oil mixtures as partial animal fat replacers and their effects on the physicochemical, nutritional and sensory qualities of foal pâtés. Three different batches were manufactured: a control (CON) formulation, with foal dorsal subcutaneous fat (30 g/100 g), and treatments 1 and 2 (T1 and T2), with 50% of the animal fat replaced by microcapsules containing algal oil mixed with walnut oil (T1) or pistachio oil (T2). The reformulated samples presented significant (p < 0.001) diminutions of fat contents, which achieved reductions of 34.22% (“reduced fat content”) and 28.17% in the T1 and T2 samples, respectively, and the lipid reformulation did not affect (p > 0.05) the texture or lipid oxidation of the samples. Furthermore, both microencapsulated oil mixtures significantly (p < 0.001) reduced (11−15%) saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentrations and increased (p < 0.001) mono- (T2) and polyunsaturated (T1) fatty acid contents (8% and 68%, respectively), contributing to the obtainment of nutritional indices in line with health recommendations. Additionally, consumer acceptability did not display significant (p > 0.05) differences among samples. Hence, the outcomes indicated that the incorporation of these microencapsulated oil mixtures as partial animal fat replacers, especially the T1 mixture, represents a promising strategy to obtain healthier foal pâtés, without compromising consumer approval.

Recent Developments in the Microencapsulation of Fish Oil and Natural Extracts: Procedure, Quality Evaluation and Food Enrichment

Due to the beneficial health effects of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants and their limited stability in response to environmental and processing factors, there is an increasing interest in microencapsulating them to improve their stability. However, despite recent developments in the field, no specific review focusing on these topics has been published in the last few years. This work aimed to review the most recent developments in the microencapsulation of fish oil and natural antioxidant compounds. The impact of the wall material and the procedures on the quality of the microencapsulates were preferably evaluated, while their addition to foods has only been studied in a few works. The homogenization technique, the wall-material ratio and the microencapsulation technique were also extensively studied. Microcapsules were mainly analyzed for size, microencapsulation efficiency, morphology and moisture, while in vitro digestion, flowing properties, yield percentage and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used more sparingly. Findings highlighted the importance of optimizing the most influential variables of the microencapsulation procedure. Further studies should focus on extending the range of analytical techniques upon which the optimization of microcapsules is based and on addressing the consequences of the addition of microcapsules to food products.

Natural Antimicrobials: A Clean Label Strategy to Improve the Shelf Life and Safety of Reformulated Meat Products

Meat is a nutrient-rich matrix for human consumption. However, it is also a suitable environment for the proliferation of both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The growing demand to develop healthy and nutritious meat products with low fat, low salt and reduced additives and achieving sanitary qualities has led to the replacement of the use of synthetic preservatives with natural-origin compounds. However, the reformulation process that reduces the content of several important ingredients (salt, curing salts, etc.), which inhibit the growth of multiple microorganisms, greatly compromises the stability and safety of meat products, thus posing a great risk to consumer health. To avoid this potential growth of spoiling and/or pathogenic microorganisms, numerous molecules, including organic acids and their salts; plant-derived compounds, such as extracts or essential oils; bacteriocins; and edible coatings are being investigated for their antimicrobial activity. This review presents some important compounds that have great potential to be used as natural antimicrobials in reformulated meat products.

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.

The Influence of Butter and Oils on Oxidative Reactions during In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of Meat and Fish

Oxidative reactions during cooking and gastrointestinal digestion of meat and fish lead to the formation of various lipid- and protein oxidation products, some of which are toxic. In the present study, it was investigated how the addition of 3% butter or oils affect lipid- and protein oxidation during cooking and in vitro digestion of meat (chicken thigh, chicken breast, beef) and fish (mackerel, cod). These muscle foods were selected based on their differences in heme-Fe and PUFA contents, and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, and therefore varying potential to form oxidation products during digestion. Without additional fat, mackerel digests displayed the highest n-3 PUFA oxidation (4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, propanal, thiobarbituric reactive acid substances), and chicken digests the highest n-6 PUFA oxidation (4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, hexanal), whereas both lipid- and protein oxidation (protein carbonyl compounds) were low in cod and beef digests. Lipid oxidative reactions were generally not altered by the addition of butter to any muscle matrix, whereas the addition of fish oil and safflower oil in different ratios (3:0, 2:1, 1:2, 0:3) as n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA source respectively, stimulated oxidative reactions, especially during digestion of beef. Since beef was considered the muscle matrix with the highest potential to stimulate oxidation in the added fat substrate, in a second experiment, beef was cooked and digested with 3% butter or seven commercial vegetable oils (sunflower-, maize-, peanut-, rapeseed-, olive-, rice bran- or coconut oil), all labeled ‘suitable for heating’. No relevant oxidative reactions were however observed during digestion of beef with any of these commercial vegetable oils.

Next Generation Sequencing of Single Nucleotide Polymorphic DNA-Markers in Selecting for Intramuscular Fat, Fat Melting Point, Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Meat Eating Quality in Tattykeel Australian White MARGRA Lamb

Meat quality data can only be obtained after slaughter when selection decisions about the live animal are already too late. Carcass estimated breeding values present major precision problems due to low accuracy, and by the time an informed decision on the genetic merit for meat quality is made, the animal is already dead. We report for the first time, a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of lipid metabolism genes in Tattykeel Australian White (TAW) sheep of the MARGRA lamb brand, utilizing an innovative and minimally invasive muscle biopsy sampling technique for directly quantifying the genetic worth of live lambs for health-beneficial omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), intramuscular fat (IMF), and fat melting point (FMP). NGS of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4), and fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes identified functional SNP with unique DNA marker signatures for TAW genetics. The SCD g.23881050T>C locus was significantly associated with IMF, C22:6n-3, and C22:5n-3; FASN g.12323864A>G locus with FMP, C18:3n-3, C18:1n-9, C18:0, C16:0, MUFA, and FABP4 g.62829478A>T locus with IMF. These add new knowledge, precision, and reliability in directly making early and informed decisions on live sheep selection and breeding for health-beneficial n-3 LC-PUFA, FMP, IMF and superior meat-eating quality at the farmgate level. The findings provide evidence that significant associations exist between SNP of lipid metabolism genes and n-3 LC-PUFA, IMF, and FMP, thus underpinning potential marker-assisted selection for meat-eating quality traits in TAW lambs.

Future trends of processed meat products concerning perceived healthiness: A review

The 21st-century consumer is highly demanding when it comes to the health benefits of food and food products. In the pursuit of attracting these consumers and easing the rise in demand for high-quality meat products, the processed meat sector is intensely focused on developing reformulated, low-fat, healthy meat products. Meat and meat products are considered the primary sources of saturated fatty acids in the human diet. Therefore, these reformulation strategies aim to improve the fatty acid profile and reduce total fat and cholesterol, which can be achieved by replacing animal fat with plant-based oils; it could be performed as direct inclusion of these oils or pre-emulsified oils. However, emulsions offer a viable option for incorporating vegetable oils while avoiding the multiple issues of direct inclusion of these oils in meat products. Processed meat products are popular worldwide and showing a gradually increasing trend of consumption. Various types of plant-based oils have been studied as fat replacers in meat products. This review will focus on possible methods to reduce the saturated fatty acid content in meat products.

An Analysis of Oxidative Changes and the Fatty Acid Profile in Stored Poultry Sausages with Liquid and Microencapsulated Fish Oil Additives

This study deals with the fatty acid profile and oxidative changes (TBARS) in vacuum-packed (VP) or modified-atmosphere-packed (MAP) finely-comminuted poultry sausages with liquid fish oil and microencapsulated fish oil (MC) additives. An analysis of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) showed that their content in the samples with the fish oil additive decreased from the initial value of 0.22 g∙100 g⁻¹ of the product to 0.18 g∙100 g⁻¹ (MAP) and 0.17 g∙100 g⁻¹ (VP), respectively. After in vitro digestion, the total EPA and DHA content in the sample with microencapsulated oil amounted to 0.17 g∙100 g⁻¹ of the product. The TBARS values showed the VP samples with both forms of the fish oil additive had the lowest values on the first day of storage. Storage of the samples for 21 days caused a slight increase in the degree of lipid oxidation. The research indicated that the forms of the oil additive did not have a negative influence on the sensory features or the physicochemical properties of the sausages. The EPA and DHA levels in samples with liquid fish oil and those with oil microcapsules were sufficient for the sausage producer to declare high content of these fatty acids in accordance with the current EC regulation.

Recent Discoveries in the Field of Lipid Bio-Based Ingredients for Meat Processing

Current culture and pace of lifestyle, together with consumer demand for ready-to-eat foods, has influenced the food industry, particularly the meat sector. However, due to the important role that diet plays in human health, consumers demand safe and healthy food products. As a consequence, even foods that meet expectations for convenience and organoleptic properties must also meet expectations from a nutritional standpoint. One of the main nutritionally negative aspects of meat products is the content and composition of fat. In this sense, the meat industry has spent decades researching the best strategies for the reformulation of traditional products, without having a negative impact in technological processes or in the sensory acceptance of the final product. However, the enormous variety of meat products as well as industrial and culinary processes means that a single strategy cannot be established, despite the large volume of work carried out in this regard. Therefore, taking all the components of this complex situation into account and utilizing the large amount of scientific information that is available, this review aims to comprehensively analyze recent advances in the use of lipid bio-based materials to reformulate meat products, as well as their nutritional, technological, and sensorial implications.