Meat products conventionally contain fat, saturated fatty acids, and high salt
contents, as well as health-harming chemical additives, such as nitrites and synthetic
anti-oxidants. The meat industry has been striving to find alternatives in order to meet
consumer demands for healthier products, either reduced or free of such components.
For this purpose, various studies have been carried out for alternative ingredients.
Vegetable oils have achieved positive results as fat replacers. Methods such as preemulsion,
emulsion-templated, microencapsulation, and oleogel formation (hydrogel or
organogel) have been excellent on partial pork fat reduction, and consequently
saturated fatty acids or n-3 PUFA-rich oils incorporation. Plant materials are seen as a
good alternative for synthetic anti-oxidants. Various plant derivatives have been tested
and presented anti-oxidant potential due to their bioactive contents, such as phenolic
acids, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids, and volatile oils. Other salts, especially
potassium chloride, have stood out on replacing sodium chloride. The use of natural
sources of either nitrites or nitrates, such as celery and powdered vegetable juice, has
been suggested as their replacers, as well as the use of different compounds with
potential natural food preservative characteristics. Overall, considerable progress has
been made over the past few years in the field of non-meat ingredients as alternative to
conventional ones, conferring a healthier approach to meat products. However, overall
strategic approaches to meet one or more simultaneous demands, such as fat and salt
reduction, among others, in terms of sensory, technological and microbiological
efficiency ought to be encouraged.
Keywords: Animal Fat Replacer, Natural Anti-Oxidants, Nitrite-Free Product, n-
3 PUFA, Potassium Chloride, Salt Replacer.
