Recent Progress in the Application of Natural Plant Polyphenols in the Preservation of Fresh Meat and Meat Products

Meat and meat products play an important role in the daily dietary structure, which provide humans with high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. With consumers’ pursuit of natural preservatives, natural plant polyphenols have become one of the latest research hotspots in the field of meat science due to their unique antibacterial and antioxidant effects. This review summarizes the development of new natural plant polyphenol extracts in recent years and their mechanism against the spoilage of meat and meat products, and it outlines the application of polyphenols in the preservation of fresh meat and meat products from the perspectives of their antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Moreover, the effective measures to improve the stability of polyphenols are introduced from the aspects of physics, chemistry and processing technology. This review aims to provide theoretical guidance for widening the application of plant polyphenols in the meat industry and for the development of their green manufacturing technology.