Chinese traditional meat products are very popular in China, and their production is a complicated process usually accompanied by the generation of numerous contaminants at high levels. As a class of thermally induced contaminants, heterocyclic amines (HAs) are widely present in proteinaceous food products and have strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Compared to Western-style meat products, HAs are more easily generated and maintained in Chinese traditional meat products, posing a more prominent problem of potential food safety risks. This article highlights the recent achievements in the analysis of HAs contents in Chinese traditional meat products and their reduction and control techniques. Deficiencies in existing studies in this regard and the latest research trends are discussed. We believe that this review will help boost the safety of Chinese traditional meat products.

This study aimed to clarify effects of heat sterilization temperatures on the release of peptides and nutritional value of braised chicken after digestion. Braised chicken was sterilized at 121 ℃ (HS), 100 ℃ (MS), and 80 ℃ (LS) for 30 min before in vitro digestion. The release of peptides was assessed by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, while functional differences were analyzed by network pharmacology combined with molecular dynamics simulations. A total of 918 peptides were identified and 53 peptides were significantly reduced in LS, MS, and HS groups compared with the control group. The 373 potential targets of these peptides were uncovered, 106 of which were highly associated with arteriosclerosis. In protein-protein-interaction network, SRC, IL1B, MMP9, CD4 and CASP3 were key targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis documented that function involved in modulation were G protein-coupled peptide receptor activity, external side of plasma membrane, extracellular matrix disassembly, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the interaction between peptides and associated targets depended upon hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. ALESPERPFLAILGGAK, RTKYETDAIQ, VNDAFGTAH, DAEDIVNTPKPDER and EDFGGHHPDPN exhibited the strongest binding ability with SRC, IL1B, MMP9, CD4 and CASP3, respectively. These results suggest that elevated sterilization temperatures result in decreased peptide release, which may diminish the nutritional value of braised chicken, particularly in relation to arteriosclerosis. These findings suggested insights for optimizing sterilization processes to preserve bioactive peptides in meat products.

Carbon dots (CDs) are a new type of carbon-based nanomaterials with excellent fluorescence properties, low toxicity, which offer an abundant source of carbon precursors. An aptamer (Apt) can specifically bind to its target molecule, and its application in sensors can dramatically improve the detection accuracy and sensitivity. Fluorescent biosensors with CDs as the signal transduction element and Apt as the target recognition element have attracted attention from researchers. In this paper, we review the structure, classification, fluorescence properties of CDs and the advantages of Apt, with a focus on the strategies for constructing fluorescent Apt sensors based on CDs and the current status and recent progress in their application in food safety detection, aiming to provide a reference for research in the fields of food quality supervision and on-site rapid detection technology for food safety.

Livestock and poultry processing can often include the slaughtering, cutting, and deep processing into meat products for consumption. Among them, cutting is a pivotal step to determine the shape, quality, and taste of the meat, in order to significantly promote the added value and market competitiveness of the products. Intelligent cutting technology has been gradually used in the field of livestock and poultry processing in recent years, particularly with the development of intelligent technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine vision. Production efficiency can be expected to enhance product quality with low labor intensity. This review aims to summarize the research advance on intelligent cutting technologies for livestock and poultry processing. Firstly, the current state was reviewed in the research of machine vision, tactile sensing, virtual reality (VR), and computed tomography (CT) in livestock and poultry processing. Each technology contributed uniquely to the precision, efficiency, and quality control. Machine vision was used to precisely and rapidly identify and classify meat cuts, especially for high consistency and quality. Tactile sensing technology was used to detect the physical properties, such as texture and firmness, which were critical for the quality assessment. VR technology was used to offer immersive training environments for workers to improve skill acquisition and operational efficiency. CT technology was to provide detailed imaging for accurate cutting and grading, in order to reduce waste and increase yield. The meat factory unit integrated these technologies into a cohesive system, streamlining operations and maximizing productivity. Some challenges still remained in the field behind these advancements. One major challenge was to integrate these diverse technologies into a seamless automated system, in order to operate under the demanding conditions of meat processing environments with robust hardware. Additionally, standardized protocols and practices were required to ensure the compatibility and interoperability among different systems and technologies. Several solutions were then proposed to develop more advanced machine learning for the high accuracy and efficiency of automated systems. The research and development were invested to enhance the durability and reliability of hardware. The industry-wide standards and best practices were required to establish for the technology integration. Collaboration was also required among researchers, industry stakeholders, and regulatory bodies. Looking ahead, the production efficiency can be improved to ensure food safety, and then enhance the industrial competitiveness in the development trend of intelligent cutting technology for livestock and poultry processing. The continuous evolution of intelligent technologies can also be expected to drive the industry towards greater automation and precision, leading to more sustainable and efficient processing. The findings can provide a comprehensive reference and insights into the current state and future directions of intelligent livestock and poultry processing. The livestock and poultry processing industry can achieve significant advancements, in terms of productivity, quality, and sustainability under intelligent technologies. This progression can also contribute to the broader societal goals of food security and resource efficiency. Therefore, intelligent cutting technologies can be realized to promote the development of intelligence, efficiency, and sustainability in livestock and poultry processing.

This study examined the inhibitory effects of varying concentrations of licorice extract on the growth of Paraclostridium bifermentans spores and the quality changes in ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken breast under different storage temperatures. Results indicated significant inhibition (P < 0.05) of P. bifermentans spore growth at licorice extract concentrations ≥ 12.5 mg/mL, especially in 50 mg/mL. Compared with control group, the shelf life in treatment group (50 mg/mL licorice extract) was nearly prolonged 2-fold when storage at 15 and 20 °C. Furthermore, the Gompertz and Logistic models demonstrated a strong fit (R² > 0.98) with the growth patterns of P. bifermentans spores at 15, 20, and 25 °C. The Ratkowsky model provided a more detailed elucidation of the relationships among temperature, maximum growth rate, and lag phase across varying concentrations of licorice extract. The model results demonstrated that licorice extract significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the P. bifermentans spore growth in RTE chicken breast during storage. Additionally, compared to control group, the licorice extract-treated RTE chicken breast exhibited significantly lower levels (P < 0.05) of pH value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation (P < 0.01) between the quantity of P. bifermentans spores and the pH value, TBARS value, and TVB-N content when storage at 15, 20, and 25 °C. This study provides a theoretical reference for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of RTE chicken breast, offering valuable insights for improving meat safety and quality in industrial processing.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is recognized for its antioxidant property, as a kind of natural phenolic-rich ingredient. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present a class of heat-driven hazards in foods, especially the processed meat. In this study, the effect of coriander root and leaf extract on the formation and inhibition of PAH8 in roasted duck wings was firstly investigated. Coriander root extract (CRE) and coriander leaf extract (CLE) with five concentration groups (200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 mg/L) were prepared respectively to marinate the duck wings. CRE marinade exhibited greater inhibitory effect on PAH8 formation in roasted duck wings that ranged from 65.0 %–87.4 %. The electron spin resonance study indicated a significantly positive correlation between PAH8 and free radical level, suggesting the participation of radicals in PAHs formation. Also, it was speculated that the inhibitory effect on PAH8 was related to the phenolic compounds identified in coriander marinades. CRE made greater inhibitory effect on the formation of PAH8 and could be considered as a kind of natural source to mitigate PAHs in heat-processed meat products.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) might pose health risks, and processing and storage could accelerate the generation of AGEs in meat. However, limited few reports indicated the changes of AGEs contents in meat during storage. In this study, the aim is to investigate the oxidation and precursors and their roles in the formation of N^ε-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) in raw and cooked chicken meat after post-mortem ageing and storage. As post-mortem ageing and storage time increased, the CML content in cooked chicken breast significantly increased from 1.81 mg/kg to 2.00 mg/kg during 0−6 h, and then decreased from 2.00 mg/kg to 1.80 mg/kg during 6 h−1 day, finally increased again during 1−7 days, while the CML contents of raw and cooked leg significantly and continuously increased from 1.78 mg/kg to 2.08 mg/kg. Furthermore, CML was extremely positively correlated with fat oxidation (R² = 0.793, P < 0.01), protein oxidation (R² = 0.917, P < 0.01) and glyoxal (R² = 0.678, P < 0.05), and was negatively correlated with lysine (R² = 0.536, P < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between the Schiff base and CML.

This study investigated the effect of different dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) treatment voltages on the microbiological growth and quality characteristics of braised chicken during storage at (4 ± 1) ℃. Argon-packed samples were subjected to DBD-CP treatment for 3 min at voltages of 50, 60 and 70 kV. As a result, there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in L^*, a^*, b^* and pH of braised chicken between control and treatment groups at the same storage time. However, the development of lipid oxidation in DBD-CP treatment samples was slower than that in air-packed samples. Compared to air-packed samples, the reduction of total viable count, yeasts and molds, lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonads spp. in 70 kV treated samples on day 15 were 3.21, 2.41, 2.44 and 1.96 lg (CFU/g), respectively. The results indicate that DBD-CP treatment could extend the shelf life of braised chicken without negative impacts on quality characteristics.