Application of natural antioxidants for the formulation of functional meat products

There is growing interest in finding healthier meals that offer more than just nutritional benefits. Meat and meat products are consumed all over the world, so it is possible to use them as matrices to make sure that people get enough bioactive components from their food. Besides extending the meat product's shelf-life and improving its composition (by integrating antioxidant molecules), it could also help people stay healthy by lowering lipid oxidative products. In this review, we look at whether developing and eating functional meat products is a viable method for improving meat composition and stability and reducing the oxidative consequences associated with the consumption of meat intake. The inclusion of plant bioactive compounds and antioxidants in meat products should protect the composition and quality of functional meat and meat products as well as the customers' health status. The key plant components with antioxidant capabilities employed in the composition of functional meat products will be discussed in this review.

Disorders caused by contaminated fish meat consumption: Literature review / Doenças causadas por consume de carne de peixe contaminada: Revisão de literatura

Between 2007 and 2017, Brazil registered 99,826 outbreaks of foodborne diseases and 0.84% of those were associated with fish meat intake. It is estimated that approximately 56 million infection cases occur worldwide due to raw or undercooked fish meat containing several disease-causing parasites. Hence, this study aimed to review the literature concerning diseases caused by ingestion of contaminated fish meat. Reviews, case reports and epidemiologic studies were searched in Portuguese, Spanish and English in the databases LILACS, Pubmed, Science Direct, SciElo and Scholar Google using as keywords: transmissive diseases, contaminated fish and human infections were used to retrieve papers from 2014 to 2020. Nine papers, including seven reviews, one case report and one case-control study fulfilled inclusion criteria and presented several consequences of contaminated raw or undercooked fish meat ingestion, which ranged from nemathode, bacterial and toxin diseases that may cause gastrointestinal problems to allergic reactions, lung infection, endemic acute myalgia, bacteremia, meningitis and death. Growing fish meat intake in several dishes presents significant health risk due to the pathogenic potential of toxins and parasites that remain when food is consumed raw or undercooked. Tighter sanitary surveillance, population health education, training and sensitization of health professionals in recognizing and notifying cases might contribute to minimize risk.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern with low, but not moderate, unprocessed, lean red meat intake reduces fasting serum trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in adults who are overweight or obese

A Mediterranean-style eating pattern (MED-EP) may include moderate red meat intake. However, it is unknown if the pro-atherogenic metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is affected by the amount of red meat consumed with a MED-EP. The results presented are from a secondary, retrospective objective of an investigator-blinded, randomized, crossover, controlled feeding trial (two 5-wk interventions separated by a 4-wk washout) to determine if a MED-EP with 200g unprocessed lean red meat/wk (MED-CONTROL) reduces circulating TMAO concentrations compared to a MED-EP with 500g unprocessed lean red meat/wk (MED-RED). Participants were 27 women and 12 men (n=39 total) who were either overweight or obese (BMI: 30.5 ± 0.3 kg/m2 mean ± SEM). Serum samples were obtained following an overnight fast both before (pre) and after (post) each intervention. Fasting serum TMAO, choline, carnitine, and betaine concentrations were measured using a targeted Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed to assess if (a) TMAO and related metabolites differed by intervention, and (b) if changes in TMAO were associated with changes in Framingham 10-year risk score. Serum TMAO was lower post-intervention following MED-CONTROL compared to MED-RED intervention (post-MED-CONTROL 3.1 ± 0.2 µM vs. post-MED-RED 5.0 ± 0.5 µM, p<0.001), and decreased following MED-CONTROL (pre- vs post-MED-CONTROL, p = 0.025). Exploratory analysis using mixed model analysis of covariance identified a positive association between changes in TMAO and changes in HOMA-IR (p = 0.036). These results suggest that lower amounts of red meat intake leads to lower TMAO concentrations in the context of a MED-EP.

Cultured Meat Prospects for a Billion!

The dietary protein requirements of almost 9.8 billion people need to be fulfilled in a healthy and sustainable manner by 2050. Meat consumption contributes to 35% of the total protein requirement of the Indian population. Meat intake needs to be sustainable and economical without causing food security and production issues. Consumption of meat in India is projected to rise with an increase in consumer incomes. Hence, novel alternative proteins, including cultured meat (CM) and plant-based meat (PBM), are being developed to satisfy the demand for meat-derived proteins in the diet. This involves the creation of novel PBM/CM products with a similar taste and texture as conventional animal meat with tailor-made nutritional attributes. In this article, we provide critical insights into the technical and business aspects of relevance to production and sustainability encountered by the Indian CM industry at a series of stages that can be termed the CM value chain comprising upstream and downstream processes. We shed light on the need for regulatory authorities and a framework. Consumer concerns towards CM products can be alleviated through effective scientific communication strategies, including prior familiarity, narrative building and transparency, and labelling aspects of CM products.

Replacement of Meat with Non-Meat Protein Sources: A Review of the Drivers and Inhibitors in Developed Countries

The overconsumption of meat has been charged with contributing to poor health and environmental degradation. Replacing meat with non-meat protein sources is one strategy advocated to reduce meat intake. This narrative review aims to identify the drivers and inhibitors underlying replacing meat with non-meat protein sources in omnivores and flexitarians in developed countries. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science until April 2021. In total, twenty-three studies were included in this review examining personal, socio-cultural, and external factors. Factors including female gender, information on health and the environment, and lower price may act as drivers to replacing meat with non-meat protein sources. Factors including male gender, meat attachment, food neophobia, and lower situational appropriateness of consuming non-meat protein sources may act as inhibitors. Research is needed to establish the relevance of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, health status, food environment, and cooking skills. Future studies should prioritize standardizing the definitions of meat and non-meat protein replacements and examining factors across different consumer segments and types of non-meat protein sources. Thereby, the factors determining the replacement of meat with non-meat protein sources can be better elucidated, thus, facilitating the transition to a healthier and more sustainable diet.

Capabilities and Opportunities of Flexitarians to Become Food Innovators for a Healthy Planet: Two Explorative Studies

To support the transition to a more plant-based diet, it is necessary to better understand flexitarians, i.e., individuals who curtail their meat intake by abstaining from eating meat occasionally without fully abandoning meat. Much of the research about eating (less) meat thus far has focused on motivations. However, a dietary shift toward less meat consumption also demands that capabilities and opportunities be taken into account. The present study explores the capability and opportunity variables in terms of enablers and barriers to reduced meat consumption. Focus group discussions (Study 1) and a survey study (Study 2) were conducted. Study 1 provides an overview of what food consumers perceive as capabilities and opportunities in the context of limiting meat consumption. Study 2 quantifies the aspects of capabilities and opportunities with a special focus on enabling and constraining aspects regarding plant-based meat substitutes. Both studies examine what Dutch flexitarians designate as capabilities and opportunities in transitioning to eating less meat in everyday life. More insight into this helps to find and facilitate food choices that make the flexitarian choice an easier and more obvious one and consequently contribute to flexitarians as food innovators for a healthy planet.

Higher Meat Intake Is Associated with Higher Inflammatory Markers, Mostly Due to Adiposity: Results from UK Biobank

ABSTRACT Background High meat consumption might play a role in promoting low-grade systemic inflammation, but evidence is limited. Objectives We examined cross-sectional associations of habitual meat consumption with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and total white blood cell count (WBCC) in British adults. Methods We included 403,886 men and women (aged 38–73 y) participating in the UK Biobank who provided information on meat intake (via touchscreen questionnaire) and a nonfasting blood sample at recruitment (2006–2010). For a subset of participants (∼5%), an additional blood sample was collected (median 4.4 y later). We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate associations of meat intake (total meat, unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry) with logCRP and logWBCC. Results The difference in the serum CRP (mg/L) for each 50-g/d higher intake for total meat was 11.6% (95% CI: 11.1, 12.0%), for processed meat was 38.3% (95% CI: 36.0, 40.7%), for unprocessed red meat was 14.4% (95% CI: 13.6, 15.1%), and for poultry was 12.8% (95% CI: 12.0, 13.5%). The difference in the WBCC (×10–9L) for each 50 g/d higher intake of total meat was 1.5% (95% CI: 1.4, 1.6%), for processed meat was 6.5% (95% CI: 6.1, 6.9%), for unprocessed red meat was 1.6% (95% CI: 1.4, 1.7%), and for poultry was 1.6% (95% CI: 1.4, 1.7%). All associations were attenuated after adjustment for adiposity; by 67% with BMI (in kg/m2) and by 58% with waist circumference for total meat and CRP, and by 53% and 47%, respectively, for WBCC, although associations remained statistically significant. Findings of sensitivity analyses in 15,420 participants were similar prospectively, except there were no associations between unprocessed red meat and WBCC. Conclusions Higher meat consumption, particularly of processed meat, was positively associated with inflammatory markers in these British adults; however, the magnitudes of associations are small and predominantly due to higher adiposity.

Values and Preferences Related to Cancer Risk among Red and Processed Meat Eaters: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study with Semi-Structured Interviews

Introduction: Over the last decade, the possible impact of meat intake on overall cancer incidence and mortality has received considerable attention, and authorities have recommended decreasing consumption; however, the benefits of reducing meat consumption are small and uncertain. As such, individual decisions to reduce consumption are value- and preference-sensitive. Consequently, we undertook a pilot cross-sectional study to explore people’s values and preferences towards meat consumption in the face of cancer risk. Methods and analysis: The mixed-method pilot study included a quantitative questionnaire followed by qualitative evaluation to explore the dietary habits of 32 meat eaters, their reasons for eating meat, and willingness to change their meat consumption when faced with a potential risk reduction of cancer over a lifetime based on a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis. We recruited a convenience sample of participants from two Canadian provinces: Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This project was approved by the Research Ethics Board for Health Sciences research at Dalhousie University, Canada. Results: The average weekly consumption of red meat was 3.4 servings and the average weekly consumption of processed meat was 3 servings. The determinants that influenced meat intake were similar for both red and processed meat. Taste, cost, and family preferences were the three most commonly cited factors impacting red meat intake. Taste, cost, and (lack of) cooking time were the three most commonly cited factors impacting processed meat intake. None of the participants were willing to eliminate red or processed meat from their diet. About half of participants were willing to potentially reduce their meat consumption, with one third definitely willing to reduce their consumption. Strengths and limitations: This study is the first that we are aware of to share data with participants on the association of red meat and processed meat consumption and the risk of cancer mortality and cancer incidence, including the certainty of evidence for the risk reduction. The limitations of this study include its small sample size and its limited geographic sampling. Conclusions: When presented explicit information about the small uncertain cancer risk associated with red and processed meat consumption, study participants were unwilling to eliminate meat, while about one-third were willing to reduce their meat intake.

Red Meat Intake and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Categorical and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Objective: Findings from previous observational studies on the association between red meat intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of red meat intake on the incidence of RA by meta-analysis.Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched for eligible observational studies regarding the association between red meat intake and the risk of RA until June 30, 2021. Risk estimates with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were pooled. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias test were also carried out.Results: A total of eleven studies were selected, involving 4 cohort studies with 5 203 identified cases from 349 776 individuals and 7 case-control studies with 3 762 cases and 6 856 controls. The pooled risk estimate of RA risk was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.77 to 1.15) for ever versus non/occasional red meat intake, while high dose of red meat intake increased the risk of RA (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.50) in the categorical meta-analysis. Dose-response meta-analysis suggested a non-linear dose-response relationship between red meat intake and RA (P=0.028). Red meat intake was found to be a risk factor of RA when the dose ranged from 96 to 166 g/day.Conclusion: High dose of red meat intake could increase the risk of RA. Mechanistic studies are warranted to clarify the aetiologic pathways through which high dose of red meat intake may promote RA.

Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with lower body weight, BMI and waist circumference in older Australian women

Objective: To investigate the association between plant-based diets (PBD) and overweight/obesity compared to regular meat eaters in older women. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: 1946–1951 birth cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). PBD were categorised as vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian and regular meat eaters. Outcomes included body weight (BW), BMI and waist circumference (WC). Participants: Women who completed Survey 7 (n 9102) with complete FFQ data. Results: Compared to regular meat eaters, BW, BMI and WC were significantly lower in pesco-vegetarians (−10·2 kg (95 % CI −5·1, −15·2); −3·8 kg/m2 (95 % CI −2·0, −5·6); −8·4 cm (95 % CI −3·9, −12·9)) and BW and BMI lower in lacto-ovo vegetarians (−7·4 kg (95 % CI −1·2, −13·6); −2·9 kg/m2 (95 % CI −0·6, −5·1)). In regular meat eaters, individuals consuming meat daily or multiple times/d had significantly higher BW, BMI and WC compared to those consuming meat >2 times/week but <daily or multiple times/d (2·5 kg (95 % CI 1·5, 3·5); 0·9 kg/m2 (95 % CI 0·5, 1·3) and 2·2 cm (95 % CI 1·3, 3·1)) and those consuming meat >1 but ≤2 times/week (6·8 kg (95 % CI 1·8, 11·8); 2·1 kg/m2 (95 % CI 0·3, 4·0) and 6·0 cm (95 % CI 1·7, 10·4)). This association was dose-dependent such that for every increase in category of weekly meat intake (i.e. >1 time/week but ≤2 times/week; >2 times/week but less than daily, and daily or multiple times/d), an associated 2·6 kg (95 % CI 1·8, 3·4) increase in BW, 0·9 kg/m2 (95 % CI 0·6, 1·2) increase in BMI and 2·3 cm (95 % CI 1·6, 3·0) increase in WC was reported. Conclusions: BW, BMI and WC are lower in women following PBD and positively associated with increasing meat consumption. Results were robust to adjustment for confounders including physical activity levels, smoking status, habitual alcohol intake, use of supplements, and hormone replacement therapy.