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New approaches to low-fat meat products to better meet consumer demands
Reduced fat meat products have received a great deal of consumer interest for a number of years. Livestock producers and meat processors work together to provide products that satisfy consumers’ desire for products with low fat, low saturated fat, low trans-fat among others. The techniques for fat reduction in meat products are more important now than ever. The biggest challenge has always been maintaining desirable texture, flavor and juiciness in reduced fat meat products. Options available for assuring palatability of reduced fat products focus mostly on replacement of fat with one or more ingredients that mimic the actions of fat. Water is commonly utilized for fat replacement because it imparts juiciness at very low cost. Various ingredients may be included to bind water in the product or provide a more oil-like mouth-feel. Whole muscle cuts pose different challenges than comminuted products when fat is reduced. In whole muscle cuts water containing a small amount of salt, water binding agent and flavorings is often injected to improve juiciness of the cooked product. In this context the ingredients should be fully soluble or easily suspended and generally must not impart detectable color to the product. Processors and suppliers are constantly trying new label-friendly ingredients that may provide the functions of water binding, texture modification or flavoring. Natural plant extracts including hydrocolloids, carbohydrates and proteins may be used. Comminuted products offer a different set of challenges and opportunities. Ingredients utilized in these products need not be soluble because they will be incorporated by mixing. Also, their visible presence may make a desirable contribution to the appearance of the product. This is especially true in situations where products are made to suit a particular ethnic or regional consumer preference. A coarse texture or distinctive particles of seasoning are often used to establish the character of a niche product. One of the biggest challenges in formulating reduced fat meat products is flavor delivery. In conventional products fat serves as a carrier for hydrophobic flavor compounds. In low fat products the absence of a hydrophobic delivery system means that some flavor compounds are not detected. It may be necessary to use different forms of seasonings in order to improve seasoning flavor. With continued consumer interest in lower fat foods it is imperative that meat producers and processors utilize the best technology available to provide those products.
Keywords:
meat, low fat, fat replacer