Meat is an essential source of nutrients in the human diet and a component of global food security. In the context of a growing demand for functional and healthy foods, the addition of non-meat ingredients, such as dietary fibres, is a promising strategy for improving the quality of meat products. This review aimed to identify and synthesise the available recent literature regarding the impact of fibre-rich ingredients on the properties of meat products, investigating how various plant sources (such as cereals, vegetables, legumes, and fruits) can be used in various forms of meat products, such as meat pastes, emulsified products, and minced and restructured meat products. Analyses of technological parameters revealed improvements in water-holding capacity, cooking losses, and an increased production yield. The addition of fibre has demonstrated a favourable effect on low-fat products, stabilising the emulsion and improving its physical texture properties. The chemical analysis highlighted an increase in dietary fibre and mineral content, as well as a decrease in fat content depending on the type and level of fibre added. Sensory changes included aspects related to the colour, aroma, texture, and overall acceptability of the products. The optimisation of the type and level of fibre is essential to obtain meat products with improved characteristics.

The holistic sensory experience creates a unified perception that influences consumer memory. Consumer interest in clean label products underlines an accelerated trend towards products without artificial additives. From a sensory point of view, food appeal is significantly influenced by how additives actively participate in the organoleptic properties of the final product. This research aims to shed light on the impact of artificial and natural additives in meat products on neurocognitive food perception, which is essential for understanding how they influence the consumer’s final decision and direct food trends. Different neural mechanisms involved in multimodal sensory integration confirm differences in perception of meat products containing artificial and natural additives. Analysis confirms that neurocognitive perception integrates organoleptic sensations to form a complete sensory experience. The encephalon simultaneously processes multimodally integrated stimuli from organoleptic properties, reaching the orbitofrontal cortex and other regions involved in the neuroprocessing of the final product. The reformulation and development of meat products need a detailed analysis of the impact of additives on sensory properties contributing to the shaping of consumption trends.

The aim of this work was to characterize the quality of meat from hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas), namely, the fatty acid content, health lipid indices, and instrumental, histological, and sensory profiles by gender and muscle type (Longissimus dorsi/LD vs. Semimembranosus/SM). The ΣPUFA/Σ SFA was higher for males, with an average value of 1.62/1. The Σn6/n3 ratio was elevated for males, with a mean value of 5.34/1. The mean meat essential fatty acids were 41.94%, the desirable fatty acids were 77%, and the polyunsaturation index was 6.09. Moreover, the atherogenic index was 0.72, the thrombogenic index was 0.71, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) fatty acids ratio was 3.30, and the nutritive value index was 1.35. After the sensory analysis, the LD muscles showed higher scores in males for overall appreciation (4.20 vs. 3.95) but higher scores in females for SM muscles (4.14 vs. 4.00). Shear force was influenced by the ratio between muscle and connective tissue, and the proportion of collagen and protein was related to the number of muscle fibers. Muscle and connective tissues are inversely proportional, and their ratio is an indicator of the textural and mechanical properties of the analyzed samples. Hare meat is an appreciated resource for consumers in terms of its sensory, instrumental, and nutritional values, and it has a higher value than that obtained from livestock species or other wild animals (more valuable proteins, lower fat content, and better health lipid indices).

One of the most significant industries in the world is the meat sector, and development into new goods is ongoing due to high customer demand and fierce market competition. Products made from chicken are widely favored. This phenomenon can be attributed to the lack of cultural or religious restrictions on this meat. The study looks into how using two distinct types of iron-rich fillings impacts the sensory profile of classic chicken roulades. The purpose of the study is to determine how changes in sensory qualities (such as taste, texture, and flavor) affect product acceptance among customers. This approach uses methods like check-all-that-apply (CATA), principal component analysis (PCA), external preference mapping (PrefMap), and penalty analysis to explore the impact of adding chicken offals and spinach as fillings on the sensory profile of traditional chicken meat roulades. This approach seeks to expand the meat product category, create new goods that use both plant and animal components, invent new ways to use offals and spinach in the market, and ensure that consumers accept these new products. Based on the results of our investigation, the type of filling utilized in the roulades showed the most differences across all sensory tests. According to hedonic analysis and preference mapping (PrefMap), the majority of customers favored roulades with spinach fillings as opposed to those containing chicken offals, which only a small portion of customers liked. Variations in consumer preference for roulades filled with chicken offals were noted in the anatomical region, with slightly greater preference for roulades made from chicken breast. However, this (anatomical region used) did not significantly affect the outcomes of all sensory tests. The spinach stuffing was found to be quite popular with the customers, even outperforming traditional chicken roulades, making it the most significant influence. Based on consumer appreciation, this suggests that the spinach-filled chicken roulades may be a viable option for meat products in the future.

The global trend toward sustainable and health-promoting foods has encouraged the reformulation of meat products that strategically incorporate high-quality animal proteins and functional compounds derived from plants. This study focuses on a complex food concept: meat-based pasta formulated from pork, semolina, and dietary fibers (apple and sugar beet). The quality attributes and the effects of different formulations were evaluated in comparison with a control sample. The findings show that the addition of dietary fibers significantly impacted the chemical composition, lowered the pH and increased water activity. The incorporation of the apple and sugar beet fibers increased the total dietary fiber content from 2.94% (control) to 9.59% and 11.15%, respectively, at the highest level of inclusion. Moreover, texture profile analysis of the raw samples revealed an enhancement in hardness (from 8.01 N in the control to maximum values of 21.23 N and 26.37 N), gumminess (from 3.28 N to 10.43 N and 12.36 N), and slight improvements in cohesiveness (from 0.41 to maximum values of 0.49 and 0.51) with the addition of apple and sugar beet fibers, respectively. The color parameters (L*, a*, b*) varied depending on the fiber source, with beet fiber imparting higher lightness and redness, while apple fiber contributed to darker tones. An initial consumer acceptability test revealed a positive perception of the innovative product, particularly for formulations with low and medium percentages of fiber addition. Overall, the results demonstrate that meat-based pasta can be successfully formulated with dietary fibers, providing an innovative and feasible alternative that meets current consumer expectations for novel, healthy, and sustainable foods.

Legislative frameworks about contamination are often limited to foods and underestimate the role of animal nutrition for safe production. This study aims to assess mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contamination in feed and identify the technological factors that are contributing to this issue, particularly focused on mechanised harvesting and processing. Three dairy farms, classified by contamination risk (low, medium, and high), were selected, and fifteen feed samples were analysed using the coupled liquid chromatography–gas chromatography–flame ionisation detection (LC–GC–FID) method, with a microwave-assisted saponification (MAS) step to determine mineral oil saturated (MOSH) and aromatic (MOAH) hydrocarbon levels. Important contamination levels were observed depending on the technological development of each farm. MOSH levels ranged from 11.4 mg/kg to 81.40 mg/kg, while MOAH levels ranged from 0.5 mg/kg to 4.6 mg/kg. MOAH accounted for 4.74% of the total MOH content. The results showed a connection between feed production technologies and MOH contamination levels. Factors such as the mechanisation, the machinery used, and the storage conditions were potentially contributors to contamination, while chemical treatments had no direct impact but some potential risks. The contamination levels varied across farms, indicating certain contamination sources beyond technological factors. Advanced technological measures and proper equipment maintenance are suggested to mitigate MOH contamination risks in feed.