Development of Dietary Fiber-Rich Meat Products: Technological Advancements and Functional Significance

Abstract

As a source of proteins having high biological value, essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and surfeit of bioactive compounds, meat is considered as an ideal food for masses. With the advancement of technology and change in socioeconomic status, the consumers have housed high preference for processed and value-added meat products. These products generally lack nutrients like complex carbohydrates that include dietary fiber. Fiber is considered as an important component in diet owing to its multifarious utilities as cardioprotective, weight reducer, management of diabetes, antioxidant, and stress reliever. Its inclusion in diet has been stressed in many studies and incorporation in products particularly high energy-dense products like meat is imperative. For adults, the recommended acceptable intakes of dietary fiber are 28–36 g/day and out of that, 70–80% must be insoluble fiber. Apart from acting as an integral fraction of diet, dietary fiber performs many functions in meat products, viz., improvement in yield, desirable processing attributes, fat reduction, texture modification, etc. Being a by-product of agriculture, these fiber sources are comparatively cheaper and its inclusion on meat products helps in reducing its overall cost of production. Thus, the inclusion of fiber in meat products helps in improving processing and technological functionality with proven health benefits for consumers.