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Abstract
In recent years, much attention has been paid to develop meat and meat products with
physiological functions to promote health conditions and prevent the risk of diseases.
This review focuses on strategies to improve the functional value of meat and meat
products. Value improvement can be realized by adding functional compounds including
conjugated linoneleic acid, vitamin E, n3 fatty acids and selenium in animal diets
to improve animal production, carcass composition and fresh meat quality. In addition,
functional ingredients such as vegetable proteins, dietary fibers, herbs and spices,
and lactic acid bacteria can be directly incorporated into meat products during processing
to improve their functional value for consumers. Functional compounds, especially
peptides, can also be generated from meat and meat products during processing such
as fermentation, curing and aging, and enzymatic hydrolysis. This review further discusses
the current status, consumer acceptance, and market for functional foods from the
global viewpoints. Future prospects for functional meat and meat products are also
discussed.