Handbook of Meat Processing

Functional Meat Products 425

have benefi cial effects on intestinal disor-

ders. Another product is a sausage containing

soy proteins. It is claimed that acceptable

blood cholesterol levels can be maintained by

consuming this product. In addition to the

approved FOSHU products, meat products

with additional functional food ingredients,

such as fi bers, vegetable proteins, and miner-

als (e.g., calcium), have been developed in

Japan. Soy proteins are popular vegetable

proteins for their various health - enhancing

activities (e.g., prevention of cardiovascular

diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis). A

sausage with additional potato starch was

developed in the United States (Pszczola

et al. 2002 ). Such dietary fi bers improve

intestinal microfl ora as prebiotics, as

described in a later section, and they contrib-

ute to the reduction of fat intake. Healthier

lipid formulation is also a critical approach

for developing meat - based functional foods.

Technological options for replacement of

meat fats with various nonmeat fats (i.e.,

“ low ” type of products, meat products with
additional physiologically functional proper-
ties have been introduced in some countries.
Such functional ingredients, including vege-
table proteins, fi bers (e.g., oats, sugar beet,
soy beans, apples, peas), antioxidants, and
probiotics (intestinal Lactobacillus and
Bifi dobacterium ), have been utilized for
meat products (Jim é nez - Colmenero 2007a ;
Fern á ndez - Gin é s et al. 2005 ; Jim é nez -
Colmenero et al. 2006 ). Research articles
about meat and meat products with func-
tional ingredients have been summarized by
Fern á ndez - Gin é s et al. (2005). Other func-
tional food ingredients have also been
reviewed (Playne et al. 2003 ; Chandan and
Shah 2007 ; Jackson and Paliyath 2007 ).
Dietary fi bers and soy proteins have been
utilized as functional ingredients in FOSHU
meat products in Japan (Arihara 2004 ). For
example, pork sausage products containing
indigestible dextrin, a water - soluble dietary
fi ber prepared from potato, are claimed to

Figure 24.1. Sugar - free meat products “ Zero ” (Nippon Meat Packers, Inc., Japan). Left, sliced roast ham; right,
sliced half bacon.