Abstract
The low efficiency of animal protein (meat products) production is one of the main concerns for sustainable food production. However, meat provides high-quality protein among other compounds such as minerals or vitamins. The use of meat extenders, non-meat substances with high protein content, to partially replace meat, offers interesting opportunities towards the reformulation of healthier and more sustainable meat products. The objective of this review is to give a general point of view on what type of compounds are used as meat extenders and how they affect the physicochemical and sensory properties of reformulated products. Plant-based ingredients (pulses, cereals, tubers and fruits) have been widely used to replace up to 50% of meat. Mushrooms allow for higher proportions of meat substitution, with adequate results in reduced-sodium reformulated products. Insects and by-products from the food industry are novel approaches that present an opportunity to develop more sustainable meat products. In general, the use of meat extenders improves the yield of the products, with slight sensory modifications. These multiple possibilities make meat extenders’ use the most viable and interesting approach towards the production of healthier meat products with less environmental impact.
Highlights
In 2015, all United Nation Member States adopted “The 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment” [1]
The countries agreed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to be achieved by the end of 2030
The world population growth and industrial development are causing an expansion of food production and an increased demand for animal protein [2]
Summary
In 2015, all United Nation Member States adopted “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable. Development” [1]. Two strategies are primarily followed: the reduction of harmful components to appropriate amounts and the incorporation of potentially health-enhancing ingredients [19] The former is focused on the reduction of harmful saturated fatty acids [20], salt [21], cholesterol [22] and additives such as nitrite [23] or phosphates [24], whereas the latter studies the incorporation of the so-called “functional ingredients”, mainly from plant origin, that provide healthier characteristics to the product [25,26,27]. Meat substitutes or analogues have received much interest as plant-based similar-in-properties alternatives to conventional meat products [28] Most of these analogues are produced under heavy processing manufacture and, limiting the environmental sustainability gain and losing the healthier prerogative that they were originally based on. A section discussing the consumer perspective about the acceptance of novel and more sustainable meat products has been included
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