The impact of different amounts (2%, 4% and 6%) of enoki (Flammulina velutipes) mushroom stem waste (MSW) powder on the physicochemical quality, color and textural, oxidative stability, sensory attributes and shelf-life of goat meat nuggets was evaluated. These mushroom by-products (MSW powder) contained a good source of protein (13.5%), ash (8.2%), total phenolics content (6.3 mg GAE/g), and dietary fiber (32.3%) and also exhibited the potential to be strong antioxidants, due to their good metal chelating ability (41.3%), reducing power (60.1%), and free radical scavenging activity (84.2%). Mushroom stem waste improved (p < 0.05) the emulsion stability, dietary fiber, ash and phenolics content of nuggets compared to control. Although no significant differences (p > 0.05) in expressible water and textural properties were observed among the formulations, but MSW powder improved the water holding capacity and slightly decreased the hardness. Further, the inclusion of MSW significantly (p < 0.05) improved the oxidative stability and shelf-life of treated nuggets by reducing lipid oxidation during the nine-day storage period. Again, the inclusion of MSW did not negatively affect the color and sensory attributes of treated meat nuggets. Overall, our results suggest that enoki mushroom stem waste (4%) can be used as a value-added functional ingredient to produce nutritionally improved and healthier meat products.

Recently, there has been growing interest in implementing innovative nanoscience‐based technologies to improve the health, safety, and quality of food products. A major thrust in this area has been to use nanoemulsions because they can easily be formulated with existing food ingredients and technologies. In particular, oil‐in‐water nanoemulsions, which consist of small oil droplets (<200 nm) dispersed in water, are being utilized as delivery systems for various hydrophobic substances in foods, including nutrients, nutraceuticals, antioxidants, antimicrobials, colors, and flavors. In this article, we focus on the application of nanoemulsion‐based delivery systems for improving the quality, safety, nutritional profile, and sensory attributes of muscle foods, such as meat and fish. The article also critically reviews the formulation and fabrication of food‐grade nanoemulsions, their potential benefits and limitations in muscle food systems.

Duck production has the potential to play a major role in agricultural economy. Asian countries alone contribute 84.2% of total duck meat produced in the world. Driven by the demand of processed foods among consumers, the global duck meat market is expected to grow at a steady pace, reaching a value of about $11.23 billion in the coming years. Duck meat has higher muscle fibre content in breast meat compared to chicken, and is considered as red meat. Moreover, due to a higher fat content (13.8%) than chicken and a stronger gamey flavour, duck meat can be less appreciated by the consumer. Development and diversification of ready-to-eat duck meat products is expected to increase consumption levels. Hence, the status of duck meat production, physicochemical properties, processing, including traditional products, and development of novel value-added ready-to-eat products from spent duck meat is discussed in detail to explore its importance as an alternative to chicken.

The study investigated gelatin extraction from chicken skin-head-feet (SHF) blend using conventional and ultrasound-assisted methods with food-grade acetic and citric acids. Ultrasound pretreatment was introduced as an intervention in the extraction process, eliminating the need for alkali hydrolysis and significantly reducing the processing time. The gelatin yield, gel clarity, textural parameters, and functional properties were noticeably improved with ultrasound pretreatment. Higher (p< 0.05) solubility was observed in ultrasound-treated gelatin relative to traditionally extracted gelatin at different pH levels. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed characteristic bands corresponding to Amide A, B, I, II, and III. Ultrasonication enhanced α-helical structure by reorganizing protein conformations and stabilizing α-helix regions. The rheological properties, gel strength, and viscosity significantly (p< 0.05) increased with ultrasound-assisted extraction. The SDS-PAGE profile of gelatin was compared with the commercial pork skin gelatin and found to possess two distinct α-chains (α1 and α2) and β chain. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry revealed the presence of collagen α1 and α2 chains as major components. This sustainable approach transformed poultry waste into a valuable resource, fostering the recovery of gelatin with improved functional attributes.