INTERPORC: New technological strategies for the nutritional optimization of pork
In recent years, the growing interest in health has led the meat industry to increase its efforts in terms of technological strategies for improving nutritional quality and the development of functional foods with healthy properties.
In this respect, the nutritional composition of white pork and its byproducts is partly a result of these efforts. These foods are an excellent source of protein and provide various minerals such as heme iron, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as B vitamins (B1 , B3 , B6 , and B12 ) . Furthermore, they boast a high-quality lipid profile, optimized thanks to the latest advances in livestock production. Thus, the composition is predominantly unsaturated fatty acids, with only one-third coming from saturated fatty acids.
However, the continuous improvement of the quantity and quality of pork fat remains a primary objective for the industry. Therefore, food research continues to study different ingredients and techniques to optimize the characteristics of meat and meat products, not only nutritionally, but also in terms of sensory and functional properties.
Functional biological compounds
In this context, the use of natural ingredients such as fibers, vegetable oils or proteins originates, as functional biological agents that allow us to offer consumers products with an additional beneficial effect on health.
In this regard, a study developed by the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology of Konkuk University (Korea) and published in the Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources, investigated the effect of the lotus flower rhizome as an antioxidant fiber on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of meat products, taking cooked sausages as an example.
Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera ) is an Asian aquatic plant widely used as a food ingredient and also as a traditional medicinal herb. The rhizome (underground stem with several buds ) of this plant has been observed to contain various biologically active compounds, such as polyphenolic compounds (kaempferol, quercetin, and isoquercetin) and procyanidins, which prevent nutrient loss and inhibit lipid and protein oxidation.
Thus, plant fiber is characterized by improving the physical and structural properties of food, as it promotes moisture retention, aroma preservation, and texture maintenance. Furthermore, it appears to play an important role in the transport of natural antioxidants in the human body. Therefore, it can be used as a functional ingredient to obtain meat products with enhanced health benefits and improved physicochemical qualities.
As a result of the study, it is worth noting that the use of lotus rhizome led to a slight decrease in the fat content of the sausages, thanks to the absorption capacity of the plant fiber, and a significant reduction in cooking losses was also observed. Furthermore, there was a decrease in the intensity of the color of both the cooked and raw meat, without adverse effects on its flavor, tenderness, juiciness, or overall acceptability. Thus, the overall acceptability of the cooked meat was not altered regardless of the amount of rhizome used.
In conclusion, everything seems to indicate that lotus rhizome powder, used as an antioxidant food fiber, could be added up to 3% as a natural ingredient for the production of functional meat products, without altering the organoleptic characteristics of these foods.
It is valuable to use nurse sows to help improve piglet survival by ensuring that all piglets hav...
Weber Food Technology is among the Best Managed Companies 2026. The prestigious award bestowed by...
One of the biggest challenges in the meat industry is maintaining strict control of critical vari...
