Grape pomace (GP), a byproduct of winemaking, has gained significant attention as a sustainable and functional ingredient with applications in the food and nutraceutical industries. This review examines the potential of GP in meat products and analogs, functional foods, and nutraceuticals, highlighting its composition, health benefits, and role in enhancing nutritional and functional properties. Rich in dietary fiber, polyphenols, essential fatty acids, and bioactive compounds, GP exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gut health-promoting effects, making it suitable for various food applications. Its incorporation into meat products, such as sausages and patties, improves texture, enhances shelf life, and increases nutritional value while reducing the environmental footprint. GP is also effective in functional foods such as baked goods, dairy and plant-based yoghurts, smoothies, and snack bars, where it can enrich fiber and polyphenol content, aid in satiety, and provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. The challenge is how to maintain the sensory properties characteristic of conventional, unmodified products. In nutraceuticals, GP’s polyphenolic compounds and dietary fiber support antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic health functions, with applications as antioxidant supplements, gut health boosters, weight management aids, and cardiovascular health supplements. Despite challenges such as taste modification and optimizing bioavailability, GP’s versatility and sustainability highlight its value in developing innovative, health-oriented products. This review emphasizes the promise of GP as a valuable ingredient in functional foods and nutraceutical formulations, contributing to health, sustainability, and resource efficiency.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of the computer vision system (CVS) to evaluate the colour of poultry meat. The advantages of the CVS over traditional methods were also explored. Design/methodology/approach: The research was carried out on m. pectoralis major samples of three animals for each of the following four species: chicken, turkey, duck and goose. The total colour difference (ΔE) and the degree of difference of hue, chroma and lightness between the methods were calculated. In addition, a trained panel of 14 people was used to carry out three different similarity tests analysed using χ² one sample test and one-way ANOVA. The correlation coefficient between CVS and colourimeter measures was evaluated using the Spearman rank correlation test. Findings: The total colour difference (ΔE) between the methods employed was so large that the generated colour(s) could be considered more opposite than similar. The CVS-generated colour chips were more similar to the sample of the meat products visualised on the monitor compared to colourimeter-generated colour chips in all (100 per cent) individual trials performed. The use of the colourimeter for colour evaluation of lighter coloured poultry meat (chicken and turkey) was unrepresentative. Practical implications: In this study, a CVS was developed to measure the colour of poultry meat as an alternative to conventional colourimeters. Originality/value: The research has demonstrated that the use of a CVS should be considered a superior alternative to the traditional method for measuring colour of chicken, turkey, duck and goose meat.

Three batches of the Sremska sausage (traditional Serbian fermented sausage) were made: control variant (C) of a Landrace and the other two of primitive breeds: Mangalica (A) and Moravka (B), with the aim of determining the cholesterol content and the content of fatty acids. The cholesterol content in meat, fatty tissue and sausages was determined, in the case of the latter at the beginning of production (day 0), at the end of production (day 14) and after a storage period of the vacuumed product (day 60). The fatty acids content was determined at the beginning and at the end of production. Values were considered significantly different when p<0.05. The cholesterol content in meat (mg/100g of a sample) ranged from 40.58 (B) to 51.54 (C), indicating a significant discrepancy in all samples. As for back fat, there was a notable disparity in cholesterol content between control and primitive breed samples (47.15 (C), 35.54 (B) and 36.41 (A)). The cholesterol content in sausages at the conclusion of the production ranged from 40.41 (A) to 43.33 (B), with no significant difference between the samples. After storage (day 60), the cholesterol content ran from 42.75 (A) to 52.41 (B), with no significant difference only between samples C and A. Fatty acids content was monitored via the index of atherogenicity, and the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio. The index of atherogenicity at the end of production was the highest in sample A, 0.61, and significantly differs from other samples, while the lowest value was recorded in sample C, 0.46. PUFA/SFA at the end of production was the lowest in sample A (0.20), with none of the samples exceeding 0.4. No significant advantages of the use of the meat of primitive breeds were noted

This review highlights the latest research on dietary fibre (DF) applications in meat and meat analogues, providing insights into their role in shaping future food innovations. DFs provide significant long-term health benefits, such as better gut health, lower cholesterol levels, and possible protection from metabolic diseases. They also enhance the texture, juiciness, and overall quality of plant-based meat alternatives (PMAs) and traditional meat products. Among the most effective fibres, cereal-derived fibres, fruit- and vegetable-derived fibres, and legume-based fibres have been shown to improve water-holding capacity (WHC) and emulsification properties, enhancing mouthfeel and juiciness. New processing methods, such as enzymatic hydrolysis and extrusion, can change how fibres work. By combining various fibre sources with innovative processing methods, the food industry can create meat and PMA products that are not only healthier but also tastier and more sustainable.

Meat manufacturers are nowadays in a very unenviable position. Both meat and meat products require the utilization of various additives due to their chemical composition. On the other hand, consumers demand fresh, additive-free, and high-quality products with extended shelf-life, which might be considered as healthier, even functional food. These facts push manufacturers and researchers in pursuit of modern technologies and supplements to meet these high demands. Since a high daily intake of sodium and fat might cause severe health issues, reducing these ingredients in meat products is the first task towards healthier food. Sodium can be reduced by ultrasound, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, and replacement of NaCl with KCl, calcium gluconate, calcium glycerophosphate, calcium lactate, and monosodium glutamate. The reduction of the fat content can be achieved through a decrease in the amount of fatty tissue in the inital mixture and/or replacement with non-lipid components, or by partial fatty tissue replacement with oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Utilization of plant proteins (soy, wheat gluten, pea, chickpea, lentil, potato, barley, oat, rice, etc.), mycoproteins or micro-algae proteins, plant fats (palm and coconut fat, canola, sunflower, soy and corn oil, etc.), and polysaccharides (starches, fibers), accompanied by a meat-like fibrous structure, resulted in delicious “meat” products, which are considered a healthier alternative to real meat. Growing interest in the replacement of potentially adverse synthetic meat additives favors the use of plant (herb, fruit and vegetable) extracts, as an endless source of bioactive substances with strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These extracts can be used either in raw meat or meat products, as well as in the fodder. Reformulation strategies strengthen and ensure the willingness of consumers to pay a higher price for their own demands regarding the naturalness of synthetic, clean-labeled, additive-free meat products. After a gradual alignment with strategic national/international recommendations and legal/sub-legal frameworks, the added value of such meat products opens wide the door to new segments/entire markets.