Over the last decades, consumer´s preference for and their attention to food products presented as healthy and with favorable nutritional information has been significantly increased. In this line, both the addition of dietary fiber and the incorporation of probiotic strains in the elaboration of fermented meat products has been established as a useful tool for the development of healthy products. Thus, the aim of this review is to present an overview of the studies involving fermented meat products with added dietary fiber and probiotic microorganisms, and also, to discuss about some of the challenges regarding the reformulation of this innovative product category.

Antioxidants are used to prevent oxidation reactions and inhibit the development of unwanted sensory characteristics that decrease the nutritional quality, acceptance, and shelf-life of processed meat products, improving their stability. Synthetic antioxidants, although efficient, are related to the development of diseases because they present toxic and carcinogenic effects. Thus, researchers and the meat industry are studying natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants to be used in meat products, thus meeting the demand of consumers who seek foods without additives in their composition. These natural extracts have compounds that exert antioxidant activity in different meat products by different mechanisms. Thus, this review work aimed to gather studies that applied natural extracts derived from different plant sources as possible antioxidants in meat products and their action in preserving the quality of these products.