Innovations for healthier processed meats

Meat and meat products are generally recognised as good sources of high biological-value proteins, group B vitamins, minerals and trace elements as well as some other bioactive compounds. However, the image to consumers is relatively negative due to their involvement in prevalent diseases of Western societies like cardiovascular diseases, cancer and obesity. Recent innovations in the meat industry are addressed towards the production of healthier meats and processed meats. The strategies are based on either reducing the content of unhealthy substances (i.e. less added sodium chloride, less nitrate and nitrite) or improving the content of substances with healthy benefits (i.e. natural antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and bioactive peptides).