Systematic review of emerging and innovative technologies for meat tenderisation

Abstract

Consumers are the final step in the meat supply chain and meeting consumer expectations of quality and tenderness are important for satisfaction and repeat purchase. High pressure processing, shockwaves, ultrasound, pulsed electric field and muscle stretching can be applied to pre- and post-rigor meat for tenderisation. These non-thermal and thermal innovative technologies can be used with varying levels of success to cause physical disruption to muscle structure, enhanced proteolysis and ageing and muscle protein denaturation and solubilisation resulting in changes to texture and juiciness. Results of a meta-analysis are used to compare the effects of these technologies on meat tenderisation. In the future, a combination of new and innovative technologies will be ideally suited to deliver a range of desired textures for meat products.