Meat+Poultry - March 2024 - 57

O
nce upon a time, burgers were made
with beef and bacon came from a
pig. Then turkey wanted recognition
beyond the winter holidays and was formed
into patties and strips. The meat and poultry
industries have continued to evolve. With all
these next-generation concepts, the same
food safety principles apply as they do for
traditional, animal-based products. In some
instances, there are other issues to address.
" Food safety cannot be compromised, "
said Bo Wei Li, application development
specialist, Foodology by Univar Solutions,
Downers Grove, Ill. " Severe consequences
for people's health could occur. And, the cost
and complexity of a recall are detrimental to
a manufacturer's reputation and profit. The
addition of food safety ingredient systems can
protect consumers, products and brands. "
INNOVATION EVOLUTION
There's a growing number of hybrid concepts
in today's marketplace. These are products
containing some animal meat along with plantbased
proteins, whole grains, vegetables, etc.
There's also a dynamic animal-free protein
category, which encompasses everything from
fungi and mycelium to cultivated proteins. The
latter resembles the real deal but is made using
precision fermentation, no animal required.
Then there's the blending of cultured meat
with other extras to make animal-free hybrid
concepts. The innovations are infinite, as are
the unknowns.
" Consumers are looking to reduce meat
for a variety of reasons including managing
grocery costs, improving health and reducing
their environmental impact, " said Karen
Constanza, marketing manager-meat, plantbased
meat, batters and breadings, Ingredion
Inc., Westchester, Ill. " But fully replacing
meat in their diet can be daunting for some
consumers. Blended and hybrid products offer
one option for achieving meat reduction that
isn't as drastic as completely cutting meat from
their diets or forcing them towards plant-based
meat alternatives.
" Many of the hybrid products entering
the market highlight the flavor and nutrition
benefits instead of focusing on having less
meat in the product, which may be perceived
as a negative or lower-quality product. By
focusing on the eating experience of adding
vegetables and grains to meat products or
using 'hidden veggies' to boost nutrition,
consumers can feel excited about the
choices they are making to reduce their meat
consumption instead of feeling like they are
missing out. "
Steve Zimmerman, senior director of
technical sales, NuTek Natural Ingredients, St.
Louis Park, Minn., said, " In these categories,
nutrition and clean label remain top of mind in
the design of the products during development.
Creating a combination of hurdles to inhibit
the growth of bacteria is a sound strategy to
ensure food safety. Hurdles can be deployed
via processing technique, like heat treatment or
packaging, or through ingredients that create a
challenging environment for microorganisms. "
Other safety factors to address involve how
novel proteins may trigger allergic reactions,
as well as introduce unexpected compounds
into the diet. There are many unknowns with
potential long-term health implications.
KEEPING LISTERIA OUT
Listeria monocytogenes is one of the greatest
concerns for manufacturers of fully cooked
meat and poultry, the real deal and non-animal
formats. This pathogen microorganism is
omnipresent in the environment, putting fully
cooked products at high risk of contamination
and growth. Proper heating to an internal
temperature of 165°F will destroy listeria,
but many fully cooked products - namely
luncheon meat slices - are not heated prior
to consumption.
Listeria is a facultative anaerobic
bacterium capable of surviving in the presence
or absence of oxygen. It can grow and
reproduce inside the host's cells and is one of
the most virulent foodborne pathogens, with
20% to 30% of foodborne listeriosis infections
in high-risk individuals being fatal.
Manufacturing plants and equipment are
sources of Listeria contamination. It's a hearty
microorganism and can tolerate extreme
environmental conditions. It survives and
forms biofilms on processing surfaces and
equipment that can be difficult to get rid of
with normal sanitation procedures. One of the
most significant avenues for contamination is
slicing equipment, where the contamination
occurs after the application of the heat lethality
treatment, such as roasting, smoking, etc.
www.meatpoultry.com | 03.24 | MEAT+POULTRY
57
" Many of the
hybrid products
entering the
market highlight
the flavor and
nutrition
benefits instead
of focusing on
having less meat
in the product,
which may be
perceived as
a negative or
lower-quality
product. "
- KAREN CONSTANZA
Firn - stock.adobe.com
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - March 2024

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