Novel meat-enriched foods for older consumers

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Product Development

Background:

• The meat industry seeks to expand product offerings and consumer bases.
• Enhancing the nutritional profile of everyday foods is a growing area of interest.
• Novel food formulations can address specific dietary needs, such as for the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prototype and assess the physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of red meat-enriched food products.
• To determine the feasibility of incorporating red meat into diverse food categories.
• To evaluate consumer acceptance of novel meat-enriched food items.

Main Methods:

• Development of prototype products including bread, spaghetti, yogurt, ice cream, and chocolate enriched with red meat.
• Assessment of physical properties (e.g., volume, tensile strength, meltability, viscosity).
• Evaluation of chemical (e.g., protein content, color) and microbiological characteristics.
• Sensory analysis using consumer panels to gauge overall acceptability and liking.

Main Results:

• Meat enrichment significantly increased protein content and darkened the color of products (p<0.05).
• Physical properties were altered: increased bread volume and spaghetti strength, decreased ice cream meltability and yogurt viscosity (p<0.05).
• Consumer acceptance varied: bread, flavored ice cream, and spaghetti showed no significant change (p>0.05), while plain ice cream and yogurt acceptance decreased (p<0.05). Notably, 75% of panelists liked meat-enriched chocolates.

Conclusions:

• Red meat enrichment can enhance the nutritional value of various food products.
• The study demonstrates potential for the meat industry to diversify its product lines.
• Further development of meat-enriched foods could provide novel dietary options for diverse consumer groups, including the elderly.