Functionality and Application of Dietary Fiber in Meat Products

Abstract

Dietary fiber naturally present in various sources of cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables plays a physiological role in human health, such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, improving blood glucose control in diabetes, helping with weight loss and management, and reducing cancer risk. In addition, dietary fibers have has been added as a functional food ingredient to food products to provide water-holding capacity, viscosity, gel-forming ability, and fat-binding capacity to food products. These beneficial characteristics of dietary fiber components can improve the image of meat products to be healthy and functional food products. This article reviews the concept and current definition of dietary fibers in food products along with their health benefits and functional characteristics. Dietary fibers from different sources like cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables and soluble dietary fibers have been applied as functional ingredients to various types of meat products, such as beef patties, ground beef and pork, pork and chicken sausages, meatballs, and jerky etc. Based on the application of dietary fibers to different types of meat products, possible future characteristics in selecting appropriate dietary fiber ingredients and their proper incorporation are explored to develop and produce healthy and functional meat products with high dietary fiber contents.