Effect of Chicken Age on Proliferation and Differentiation Abilities of Muscle Stem Cells and Nutritional Characteristics of Cultured Meat Tissue.

This study aimed to investigate effects of chicken age on proliferation and differentiation capacity of muscle satellite cells (MSCs) and to determine total amino acid contents of cultured meat (CM) produced. Chicken MSCs (cMSCs) were isolated from hindlimb muscles of broiler chickens at 5-week-old (5W) and 19-embryonic-day (19ED), respectively. Proliferation abilities (population doubling time and cell counting kit 8) of cMSCs from 19ED were significantly higher than those from 5W (p<0.05). Likewise, both myotube formation area and expression of myosin heavy chain heavy of cMSCs from 19ED were significantly higher than those from 5W (p<0.05). After cMSCs were serially subcultured for long-term cultivation in 2D flasks to produce cultured meat tissue (CMT), total amino acid contents of CMT showed no significant difference between 5W and 19ED chickens (p>0.05). This finding suggests that cMSCs from chicken embryos are more suitable for improving the production efficiency of CM than those derived from young chickens.

Development and Comparative Evaluation of Imitated Fiber from Different Protein Sources Using Wet-Spinning.

Texture is a major challenge in addressing the need to find sustainable meat alternatives, as consumers desire alternative meat to have a sensory profile like meat. In this study, the fabrication of imitated muscle fiber (IMF) is performed by introducing different kinds of protein sources, with an effective bottom-up technique- wet spinning. Herein, the protein sources (pea protein isolate, wheat protein, and myofibrillar paste) were combined with sodium alginate to stimulate the bonding with the coagulation solution for fabrication. It has been found that the fabrication of IMF is possible using all the protein sources, however, due to the difference in protein structure, a significant difference was observed in quality characteristics compared to conventional meat. Additionally, combination of wheat protein and pea protein isolate has given similar values as conventional meat in terms of some of the texture profiles and Warner-Bratzler shear force. In general, the optimization of protein sources for wet spinning can provides a novel way for the production of edible fiber of alternative meat.

Meat quality and safety issues during high temperatures and cutting-edge technologies to mitigate the scenario.

Climate change, driven by the natural process of global warming, is a worldwide issue of significant concern because of its adverse effects on livestock output. The increasing trend of environmental temperature surging has drastically affected meat production and meat product quality, hence result in economic losses for the worldwide livestock business. Due to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the situation would get prolonged, and heat exposure-related stress is expected to worsen. Heat exposure causes metabolic and physiological disruptions in livestock. Ruminants and monogastric animals are very sensitive to heat stress due to their rate of metabolism, development, and higher production levels. Before slaughter, intense hot weather triggers muscle glycogen breakdown, producing pale, mushy, and exudative meat with less water-holding capacity. Animals exposed to prolonged high temperatures experience a decrease in their muscle glycogen reserves, producing dry, dark, and complex meat with elevated final pH and increased water-holding capacity. Furthermore, heat stress also causes oxidative stresses, especially secondary metabolites from lipid oxidation, severely affects the functionality of proteins, oxidation of proteins, decreasing shelf life, and food safety by promoting exfoliation and bacterial growth. Addressing the heat-related issues to retain the sustainability of the meat sector is an essential task that deserves an inclusive and comprehensive approach. Considering the intensity of the heat stress effects, this review has been designed primarily to examine the consequences of hot environment temperatures and related stresses on the quality and safety of meat and secondarily focus on cutting edge technology to reduce or alleviate the situational impact.

The Application of High-Intensity Ultrasound on Wet-Dry Combined Aged Pork Loin Induces Physicochemical and Oxidative Alterations.

This research investigated the synergic outcome of high intensity ultrasound (HIU) treatment and wet-dry combined aging (WDCA) on physiochemical characteristics and lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage to ameliorate pork meat's quality and shelf life. The CIE b* values, cooking loss (CL %), and pH of the HIU treated samples were higher than those of the control over the aging period. They were significantly (p<0.05) modified by the aging period and ultrasound (US) treatment. However, the released water (RW %) and moisture were not significantly influenced by US treatment (p>0.05). The Warner-Bratzler shear force of HIU-treated samples was lower over control values except in 7-14 d, and it showed a significant difference between control and US treatment according to the significance of HIU (p<0.05). The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance of HIU-treated samples was significantly higher (p<0.05) than control values over the aging period. These results suggested that HIU treatment and WDCA showed a synergistic effect of maximizing the tenderness, but lipid oxidation was higher than before ultrasonic treatment. In agreement with this, the most favorable approach would involve implementing wet aging for a period of two weeks followed by dry aging for a period not exceeding one week after the application of HIU.

Scaffolding fundamentals and recent advances in sustainable scaffolding techniques for cultured meat development.

In cultured meat (CM) production, Scaffolding plays an important role by aiding cell adhesion, growth, differentiation, and alignment. The existence of fibrous microstructure in connective and muscle tissues has attracted considerable interest in the realm of tissue engineering and triggered the interest of researchers to implement scaffolding techniques. A wide array of research efforts is ongoing in scaffolding technologies for achieving the real meat structure on the principality of biomedical research and to replace serum free CM production. Scaffolds made of animal-derived biomaterials are found efficient in replicating the extracellular matrix (ECM), thus focus should be paid to utilize animal byproducts for this purpose. Proper identification and utilization of plant-derived scaffolding biomaterial could be helpful to add diversified options in addition to animal derived sources and reduce in cost of CM production through scaffolds. Furthermore, techniques like electrospinning, modified electrospinning and 3D bioprinting should be focused on to create 3D porous scaffolds to mimic the ECM of the muscle tissue and form real meat-like structures. This review discusses recent advances in cutting edge scaffolding techniques and edible biomaterials related to structured CM production.

Modern Concepts of Restructured Meat Production and Market Opportunities.

Restructured meat (RM) products are gaining importance as an essential component of the meat industry due to consumers' interest in health benefits. RM products imply the binding or holding of meat, meat by-products, and vegetable proteins together to form a meat product with meat's sensory and textural properties. RM products provide consumers with diversified preferences like the intake of low salt, low fat, antioxidants, and high dietary fiber in meat products. From the point of environmental sustainability, RM may aid in combining underutilized products and low-valued meat by adequately utilizing them instead of dumping them as waste material. RM processing technique might also help develop diversified and new hybrid meat products. It is crucial to have more knowledge on the quality issues, selection of binding agents, their optimum proportion, and finally, the ideal processing techniques. It is observed in this study that the most crucial feature of RM could be its healthy products with reduced fat content, which aligns with the preferences of health-conscious consumers who seek low-fat, low-salt, high-fiber options with minimal synthetic additives. This review briefly overviews RM and the factors affecting the quality and shelf life. Moreover, it discusses the recent studies on binding agents in processing RM products. Nonetheless, the recent advancements in processing and market scenarios have been summarized to better understand future research needs. The purpose of this review was to bring light to the ways of sustainable and economical food production.

Umami Characteristics and Taste Improvement Mechanism of Meat.

Taste is one of the five senses that detect vital information about what we are eating. Comprehending taste is crucial for enhancing the flavor of foodstuffs and high-protein foods like meat. Umami has global recognition as the fifth elementary taste, alongside sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness. Umami compounds are known to enhance the sensation of recognized flavors such as salty, sweet, bitter, and others. This could end up in greater food consumption by consumption by consumers. With the rising global population, meat consumption is rising and is projected to double by 2025. It is crucial to comprehend the umami mechanism of meat and meat products, identify novel compounds, and employ laboratory methodologies to gather varied information. This knowledge will aid in the development of new consumer products. Although very limited information is available on umami taste and compounds in meat through research data. This article discusses recent advancements in umami compounds in other foodstuff as well as meat to aid in designing future research and meat product development. Moreover, another objective of this review is to learn present techniques in foodstuffs to enhance umami taste and utilize that knowledge in meat products.

Trends in Hybrid Cultured Meat Manufacturing Technology to Improve Sensory Characteristics.

The projected growth of global meat production over the next decade is attributed to rising income levels and population expansion. One potentially more pragmatic approach to mitigating the adverse externalities associated with meat production involves implementing alterations to the production process, such as transitioning to cultured meat, hybrid cultured meat, and meat alternatives. Cultured meat (CM) is derived from animal stem cells and undergoes a growth and division process that closely resembles the natural in vivo cellular development. CM is emerging as a widely embraced substitute for traditional protein sources, with the potential to alleviate the future strain on animal-derived meat production. To date, the primary emphasis of cultured meat research and production has predominantly been around the ecological advantages and ethical considerations pertaining to animal welfare. However, there exists substantial study potential in exploring consumer preferences with respect to the texture, color, cuts, and sustainable methodologies associated with cultured meat. The potential augmentation of cultured meat's acceptance could be facilitated through the advancement of a wider range of cuts to mimic real muscle fibers. This review examines the prospective commercial trends of hybrid cultured meat. Subsequently, the present state of research pertaining to the advancement of scaffolding, coloration, and muscle fiber development in hybrid cultured meat, encompassing plant-based alternatives designed to emulate authentic meat, has been deliberated. However, this discussion highlights the obstacles that have arisen in current procedures and proposes future research directions for the development of sustainable cultured meat and meat alternatives, such as plant-based meat production.

Multi-Omics Approaches to Improve Meat Quality and Taste Characteristics.

With rapid advances in meat science in recent decades, changes in meat quality during the pre-slaughter phase of muscle growth and the post-slaughter process from muscle to meat have been investigated. Commonly used techniques have evolved from early physicochemical indicators such as meat color, tenderness, water holding capacity, flavor, and pH to various omic tools such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to explore fundamental molecular mechanisms and screen biomarkers related to meat quality and taste characteristics. This review highlights the application of omics and integrated multi-omics in meat quality and taste characteristics studies. It also discusses challenges and future perspectives of multi-omics technology to improve meat quality and taste. Consequently, multi-omics techniques can elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for changes of meat quality at transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome levels. In addition, the application of multi-omics technology has great potential for exploring and identifying biomarkers for meat quality and quality control that can make it easier to optimize production processes in the meat industry.

Effect of Novel High-Intensity Ultrasound Technique on Physio-Chemical, Sensory Attributes, and Microstructure of Bovine Semitendinosus Muscle.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) application on meat quality traits, sensory parameters, and the microstructure of semitendinosus muscle from Hanwoo cattle. The samples were treated in an ultrasonic bath (35 kHz) at an intensity of 800 W/cm2 for 60 min, followed by aging at 1°C for 0, 3, and 7 days. The application of ultrasound resulted in lower Warner-Bratzler shear force and higher myofibrillar fragmentation index values during the storage period. HIU also enhanced the tenderness, flavor, umami, and overall acceptability of cooked beef muscle. However, the electronic tongue evaluation results showed higher umami values in the control treatment on the seventh day of storage. The microstructure of sonicated meat showed disorganized myofibrillar architecture and swelling in the A-band region of sarcomeres during the storage period, which led to greater meat tenderness. The heatmap illustrated the high abundance of α-linolenic acid (C20:5n3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (C18:3n3) in sonicated meat samples on the third day of the storage. These results showed that HIU is a potential method for tenderizing and improving the sensory attributes of beef without compromising other quality aspects.

Sensory Evaluation of Plant-Based Meat: Bridging the Gap with Animal Meat, Challenges and Future Prospects.

Globally, the demand for plant-based meat is increasing rapidly as these products are becoming quite popular among vegans and vegetarians. However, its development is still in the early stage and faces various technological challenges; the imitation of the sensory profile of meat is the most challenging part as these products are meant to be an alternative to animal meat. The development of a product similar to meat requires accurate selection of ingredients and processing techniques. An understanding of the relevant sensory profile can help in constructing products and technologies that are consumer-centric and sustainable. In this review, we focus on the comparative differences in the sensory profiles of animal meat and plant-based meat alternatives, particularly regarding the color, texture, and flavor, along with the methods used to compare them. This paper also explains the sensory evaluation and how it affects consumer preference and acceptability. Additionally, a direction for further research on developing better plant-based meat products is suggested.

Aging mechanism for improving the tenderness and taste characteristics of meat.

Tenderness and taste characteristics of meat are the key determinants of the meat choices of consumers. This review summarizes the contemporary research on the molecular mechanisms by which postmortem aging of meat improves the tenderness and taste characteristics. The fundamental mechanism by which postmortem aging improves the tenderness of meat involves the operation of the calpain system due to apoptosis, resulting in proteolytic enzyme-induced degradation of cytoskeletal myofibrillar proteins. The improvement of taste characteristics by postmortem aging is mainly explained by the increase in the content of taste-related peptides, free amino acids, and nucleotides produced by increased hydrolysis activity. This review improves our understanding of the published research on tenderness and taste characteristics of meat and provides insights to improve these attributes of meat through postmortem aging.

Optimal Pre-Plating Method of Chicken Satellite Cells for Cultured Meat Production.

To establish a pre-plating method of chicken satellite cells with high purity, pre-plating was performed under culture conditions of 37°C and 41°C, and the pre-plating time was set from a total of 3 hours to 6 hours in consideration of the cell attachment time. The purity of the cells was confirmed by staining paired box protein 7 (Pax7) after proliferation, and Pax7 expression was the highest in culture flasks shaken for 2 hours after incubation at 41°C for 2 hours to prevent the attachment of satellite cells (p<0.05). Also, when pre-plating and proliferation were performed at 37°C and 41°C, the Pax7 expression rate was higher at 41°C. The differentiation capabilities of the three groups (T3, T6, and T7) with high Pax7 expression were compared and the fusion index (%) and myotube formation area (%) determined by myosin heavy chain (MHC) staining was calculated. The T6 and T7 groups, which were cultured at 41°C, showed significantly higher values than the T3 group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of Pax7 and MHC between the T6 and T7 groups (p>0.05). These results suggest that pre-plating at 41°C for a total of 4 hours was the most efficient in terms of cost and time for purifying chicken satellite cells for cultured meat.

Vascular rinsing and chilling carcasses improves meat quality and food safety: a review.

Rinse & Chill® technology (RCT) entails rinsing the vasculature using a chilled isotonic solution (3°C; 98.5% water and a blend of dextrose, maltose, and sodium phosphates) to rinse out the residual blood from the carcass. Infusion of pre-chilled solutions into intact animal carcasses immediately upon exsanguination is advantageous in terms of lowering the internal muscle temperature and accelerating chilling. This technology is primarily used for purposes of effective blood removal, favorable pH decline, and efficient carcass chilling, all of which improve meat quality and safety. Although RCT solution contains some substrates, the pre-rigor muscle is still physiologically active at the time of early postmortem and vascular rinsing. Consequently, these substrates are fully metabolized by the muscle, leaving no detectable residues in meat. The technology has been commercially approved and in continuous use since 2000 in the United States and since 1997 in Australia. As of January 2022, 23 plants have implemented RCT among the 5 countries (Australia, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan) that have evaluated and approved RCT. All plants are operating under sound Sanitation Standard Operation Procedures (SSOP) and a sound Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program. No food safety issues have been reported associated with the use of this technology. RCT has been adapted by the meat industry to improve product safety and meat quality while improving economic performance. Therefore, this review summarizes highlights of how RCT technically works on a variety of animal types (beef, bison, pork, and lamb).

Quality Characteristics of Meat Analogs through the Incorporation of Textured Vegetable Protein: A Systematic Review.

Meat analogs produced through extruded products, such as texture vegetable protein (TVP) with the addition of various plant-based ingredients are considered the products that have great potential for replacing real meat. This systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence of the incorporation of TVP on the quality characteristics of meat analogs. Extensive literature exploration was conducted up to March 2022 for retrieving studies on the current topic in both PubMed and Scopus databases. A total of 28 articles published from 2001 to 2022 were included in the data set based on specific inclusion criteria. It appears that soy protein is by far the most used extender in meat analogs due to its low cost, availability, and several beneficial health aspects. In addition, the studies included in this review were mainly conducted in countries, such as Korea, the USA, and China. Regarding quality characteristics, textural parameters were the most assessed in the studies followed by physicochemical properties, and sensory and taste attributes. Other aspects, such as the development of TVP, the difference in quality characteristics of texturized proteins, and the usage of binding agents in various meat analogs formulations are also highlighted in detail.

Physical and Biochemical Mechanisms Associated with Beef Carcass Vascular Rinsing Effects on Meat Quality: A Review.

Carcass vascular rinsing and chilling involves infusing a chilled isotonic solution (98.5% water and a blend of mono- and di-saccharides and phosphates) into the vasculature immediately upon exsanguination. Primary purposes of carcass vascular rinsing are to (1) effectively remove residual blood from the carcass; (2) lower internal muscle temperature rapidly; and (3) optimize pH decline by effective delivery of glycolytic substrates in the rinse solution. Previous studies have revealed that the beef carcass vascular rinsing early postmortem positively affects meat quality, product shelf-life, and food safety. Thus, the objective of this review is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the physical and biochemical mechanisms associated with beef carcass vascular rinsing, focusing on the relationship between quality attributes (CIE L*, a*, b*; chemical states of myoglobin; oxygen consumption and sarcomere length) and muscle metabolic response to various substrate solutions (Rinse & Chill®, fructose, sodium phosphate, and dipotassium phosphate) that stimulate or inhibit the rate of glycolysis early postmortem. In addition, this review discusses the absence of metabolite residues (phosphorus, sodium, and glucose) related to the application of the chilled isotonic solution. This review primarily focuses on beef and as such extending the understanding of the mechanisms and meat quality effects discussed to other species associated with vascular rinsing, in particular pork, may be limited.

Control of sous-vide physicochemical, sensory, and microbial properties through the manipulation of cooking temperatures and times.

The selection of appropriate temperatures and times for cooking various muscle meats are the key factors for manipulating eating quality such as tenderness, the degree of doneness, water retention, and taste. The mild cooking temperature in sous-vide tends to affect meat quality. The impact of prolonged cooking is deemed the prerequisite treatment for the microbiological safety of sous-vide meat. An approach to sequential sous-vide cooking and its effect on textural properties is also presented in this review. Neither the physicochemical properties (tenderness, color, and water retention) nor palatability (umami and volatile flavors) was perceived as optimal at one temperature point. Temperatures of 50-60 °C were vital for the textural properties of sous-vide cooked meat. Temperatures >70 °C had a pronounced effect on palatability development, likely from the generation of umami from nucleotides and volatile flavor from the Strecker degradation of amino acids occurring at higher temperatures.

A Comparative Study on the Taste Characteristics of Satellite Cell Cultured Meat Derived from Chicken and Cattle Muscles.

This study investigated the amino acid and nucleotide-related compound composition and taste characteristics of cultured muscle tissue (CMT) obtained by culturing satellite cells isolated from chicken and cattle and compared them to those of traditional meat (TM). The content of all amino acids except valine and tyrosine was significantly different between CMT and TM (p<0.05). The amount of glutamic acid was not significantly different between CMT and TM in cattle, but the glutamic acid in chicken CMT was lower than that of TM (p<0.05). Among the nucleotide-related compounds, only the content of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) was significant, and the amount of IMP in CMT derived from chicken and cattle was significantly lower than that of TM (p<0.05). There were significant differences in the taste characteristics assessed by an electronic tongue system, and the umami, bitterness, and sourness values of CMT were significantly lower than those of TM from both chicken and cattle (p<0.05). The results of the present study suggest that it is necessary to develop a satellite cell culture method that could increase the umami and bitterness intensity of CMT and adjust the composition of the growth medium to produce cultured meat with a taste similar to that of TM.

Characteristics of Beef Patties Substituted by Different Levels of Textured Vegetable Protein and Taste Traits Assessed by Electronic Tongue System.

The main objective of this study was to incorporate soy-based textured vegetable protein (TVP) into beef patties in different quantities (10-40%) and compare various characteristics of these innovative formulations with a regular beef patty as a control. Incorporation of 10-40% TVP resulted in significantly lower (p < 0.05) moisture and fat contents, while higher crude fiber contents were detected compared to beef as the control. In addition, cooked patties showed higher pH levels (p < 0.05), with color coordinates expressing lighter, yellowish, and slightly redder indices than raw patties. Similarly, a plant protein that includes TVP minimizes (p < 0.05) WHC (water holding capacity), both RW% (release water) and CL% (cooking loss). Furthermore, hardness, cohesiveness, and thickness were reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while gumminess and chewiness increased (p < 0.05) considerably with the substitution of TVP (10-40%) compared to the control. Patties made without TVP received higher scores for sourness, bitterness, umami, and richness than the rest of the formulations. However, a higher tendency was detected for sourness, astringency, umami, and saltiness values with increasing additions of TVP. Nevertheless, hierarchical clustering revealed that the largest group of fatty acid profiles, including palmitoleic acid (C16:1), stearic acid (C18:0), and palmitic acid (C16:0), was slightly reduced with the addition of TVP, while arachidic acid (C20:0), lauric acid (C12:0), and oleic acid (C18:1) increased moderately with increasing levels of TVP. Meanwhile, the second-largest cluster that included linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidonic acid (C20:4), and linolenic acid (C18:3) increased enormously with higher levels of TVP incorporation. Taken together, it is suggested that incorporation of TVP up to 10-40% in beef patties shows promising results.

Evaluation of Rheological and Sensory Characteristics of Plant-Based Meat Analog with Comparison to Beef and Pork.

This study explored the physicochemical, textural, and sensorial properties of a meat analog (MA) as compared to beef and pork meats. Results illustrate that MA patties had lower moisture, fat, and protein content, as well as higher ash and crude fiber than beef and pork. Likewise, MA patties had a higher pH, lightness (L*), and redness (a*) than either beef or pork. Pork meat exhibited the highest released water (RW) and cooking loss (CL) values, followed closely by MA with beef displaying the lowest values. Regardless of patty type, the post-cooking diameter patties were reduced significantly (p<0.05). However, the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), hardness, chewiness, and gumminess of beef were significantly higher than that of either pork or MA. The visible appearance of MA patties had more porous and loose structures before and after cooking. Consequently, based on sensory parameters, MA patties demonstrated the higher values for appearance and firmness, followed by beef and pork respectively, although the difference was not statistically significant. Therefore, the current study demonstrated that some physicochemical, textural, and sensory characteristics of beef and pork exhibited the most similarity to MA.