• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1028-1039
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• 2024

Alternative protein sources with greater nutritional value and a lower environmental footprint have recently attracted interest in the production of meat substitutes. However, it is required that these alternatives mimic the texture and structure of meat. This study investigated varying ratios of textured vegetable proteins (TVP) to Tenebrio molitor larvae (brown mealworm; TM) with the addition of transglutaminase (TG) to determine the quality characteristics of these emulsions. The results demonstrated low protein solubility of the emulsions as TVP content increased. Furthermore, when the proportion of TM was high, the TG-treated emulsion had a low pH. Additionally, when there was a high TM ratio to TVP in the TG treatment, the emulsions demonstrated better thermal stability and water holding capacity. Regarding the rheological properties of the emulsion, both the frequency-dependent storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G'') increased as the proportion of TVP in the emulsion increased with and without the addition of TG. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses demonstrated two protein denaturation peaks in all treatments, with high peak temperatures for both treatments with a high proportion of TM. The hardness and chewiness of the emulsion were highest in the treatment (T6 and T8) with TG, and the gumminess of the emulsion was greatest when TM only or when equal ratios of TVP and TM were treated with TG, respectively. In conclusion, the addition of TM to TVP with TG improves the overall texture of the protein mixture, making it a suitable meat alternative.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2024

The proportion of plant-based meat alternative (PBMA) consumers has recently increased in Korea. This is due to several reasons including protecting the environment, satisfying preferences, maintaining health, and improving eating habits. Accordingly, many companies produce and sell alternative meat using various materials. Alternative meats are classified into plant (such as soybeans and wheat), seaweed, insect, and cultured meats, depending on the raw materials used in manufacturing. PBMA is sold after undergoing processes such as grinding, seasoning, and molding. Therefore, monitoring the presence of any hazardous elements during this process is essential. Accordingly, in this study, we analyzed the harmful components of nine domestically distributed PBMA that are most easily accessible to consumers. After extracting fat from the samples and analyzing the rancidity level, samples F, G, and I were highly rancid. Trace amounts of aflatoxin were detected in samples A and B, but confirmed to be within the range. Cd and Pb were not detected in any sample. We hope that this study will help establish methods to ensure the safety of domestically sold PBMA.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.299-307
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• 2007

Changes in nitrite content, TBARS content and color of meat products during storage were examined as part of studies addressing the reduction of residual nitrite and to ensure the safety of meat products. All 4 kinds of domestic meat product tested, Vienna sausage, bacon, smoked-ham and Dduggalbi, manufactured by C and L domestic companies had very low contents of residual nitrite, for below the legal tolerance limit of 70 ppm, and the residual nitrite decreased with storage. The reduction in nitrite content differed with each product, showing the greatest reduction in Vienna sausage and the least reduction in bacon when stored at $4^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, when stored at $-20^{\circ}C$, the nitrite content of bacon decreased more rapidly than the other meat products. The results of this study show that the nitrite content of meat products decreases during storage, and that the rate of decrease is quite dependent on the storage temperature. In addition, the nitrite contents of most domestic meat products are very low compared to the legal limits, thus the health risks of nitrite in meat products might not be of great concern. More research on the reduction of residual nitrite and on the development of alternatives to nitrite is necessary.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1028-1041
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the potential of school meals in South Korea as a sustainable tool to reduce carbon emissions by focusing on animal- vs. plant-based protein foods. MATERIALS/METHODS: By using a stratified proportional allocation method, 536 out of the 11,082 schools nationwide were selected including 21 kindergartens, 287 elementary-, 120 middle- and 108 high schools. A total of 2,680 meals served for 5 consecutive days (June 21-25, 2021) were collected. We analyzed the average serving amounts of protein foods (animal- vs. plant-based) per meal and then, calculated the estimated average amounts of carbon emission equivalents per meal by applying the conversion coefficients. The t-test and analysis of variance were used for statistical analyses (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The average serving amount of animal-based protein foods per meal was 12.5 g, which was approximately 3 times higher than that of plant-based ones (3.8 g) (P < 0.001); the Meat-group had the highest average amount of 17.0 g, followed by Egg-group (9.6 g), Fish-group (7.6 g), and Beans-and-Nuts-group (3.8 g) (P < 0.05). Specifically, pork (25.1 g) was ranked first, followed by poultry (19.6 g), processed meat products (18.0 g). The estimated average amount of carbon emission equivalents of animal-based protein foods per meal was 80.1 g CO₂e, which was approximately 31 times higher than that of plant-based ones (2.6 g CO₂e) (P < 0.001); the Meat-group had the highest average amount of 120.3 g CO₂e, followed by Fish-group (44.5 g CO₂e), Egg-group (25.9 g CO₂e), and Beans-and-Nuts-group (2.6 g CO₂e) (P < 0.05). Specifically, processed meat products (270.8 g CO₂e) were ranked first, followed by pork (91.7 g CO₂e), and processed fish products (86.6 g CO₂e). CONCLUSIONS: The results implied that school meals with plant-based alternatives could be a sustainable tool to improve carbon footprint.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.103-120
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• 2005

During the 1970s, concern arose that cured meats contained high levels of residual nitrite and preformed nitrosamines. Therefore, the search for alternatives and alternative approaches to the use of nitrite have been still continued, however no complete alternative for nitrite has yet been identified. Recently, it was publicized in Korea that nitrite-containing meat products would be detrimental to health, about which consumers have been seriously concerned. Therefore, this study was carried out to inform the consumer of the safety status of nitrite and thereby to lead proper consumption of meat products. For assessing the safety of nitrite, data regarding the regulation for use, metabolism in human body, and dietary intake amounts of nitrite were collected and analyzed. The mean intake level of nitrite for Korean per capita was recently reported to be not more than 1% of ADI set by JECFA. On the contrary, a calculation indicated that the daily nitrite intake per capita from saliva by ingestion of vegetables in Korea would be about 300-fold higher than that from cured meats. In consideration of the low consumption amount of meat products per capita of Korean, that is, at least one fifth, compared to European and American, there is no particular reason to concern about the impairment of health by nitrite intake from meat products for Korean. However, any effort for the reduction of residual nitrite content in cured meats should be given with an idea to minimize the intake of nitrite even from the minor source.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.1124-1150
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• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the leading research materials and research trends related to livestock food in Asia in recent years and propose future research agendas to ultimately contribute to the development of related livestock species. On analyzing more than 200 relevant articles, a high frequency of studies on livestock species and products with large breeding scales and vast markets was observed. Asia possesses the largest pig population and most extensive pork market, followed by that of beef, chicken, and milk; moreover, blood and egg markets have also been studied. Regarding research keywords, "meat quality" and "probiotics" were the most common, followed by "antioxidants", which have been extensively studied in the past, and "cultured meat", which has recently gained traction. The future research agenda for meat products is expected to be dominated by alternative livestock products, such as cultured and plant-derived meats; improved meat product functionality and safety; the environmental impacts of livestock farming; and animal welfare research. The future research agenda for dairy products is anticipated to include animal welfare, dairy production, probiotic-based development of high-quality functional dairy products, the development of alternative dairy products, and the advancement of lactose-free or personalized dairy products. However, determining the extent to which the various research articles' findings have been applied in real-world industry proved challenging, and research related to animal food laws and policies and consumer surveys was lacking. In addition, studies on alternatives for sustainable livestock development could not be identified. Therefore, future research may augment industrial application, and multidisciplinary research related to animal food laws and policies as well as eco-friendly livestock production should be strengthened.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.677-685
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• 2019

Five Leuconostoc strains (CM17, CM19, PM30, PM32, and PM36) previously isolated from Indian meat showed promising antimicrobial activity against food pathogens in screening assay. This study evaluates the efficacy of these isolates against Escherichia coli Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC) 443 and Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC 657) in spinach leaves. Challenge studies were conducted by inoculating E. coli and L. monocytogenes at 6 to 7 $Log_{10}CFU/g$ of the leaves respectively and treating them with cell free supernatant (CFS) of 48 h cultures of the isolates. The samples were stored at $4^{\circ}C$ and analyzed over a period of 5 d. The study was conducted in triplicates and statistical analysis was carried out using one-way Anova. The counts of the pathogens did not increase over the 5 d period in the control samples, without any treatment. Whereas in the case of CFS treatments, significant reduction (p<0.05) was observed in both E. coli and L. monocytogenes from 1 to 5 d with all the 5 strains as compared to the control. The counts of Listeria dropped by 0.5 to 1 log by 5 d, with PM 36 showing the highest reduction (1 log). In the case of E. coli, 1.1 to 1.5 log reduction was observed by 5 d, with again PM 36 showing the highest reduction (1.5). The overall results indicate that the isolates (specifically PM36) not only showed efficacy in in vitro studies but are also proved to be effective in food matrix making them potential clean label antimicrobial alternatives for food application.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1017-1030
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• 2023

Fetal bovine serum (FBS), which contains various nutrients, comprises 20% of the growth medium for cell-cultivated meat. However, ethical, cost, and scientific issues, necesitates identification of alternatives. In this study, we investigated commercially manufactured serum-free media capable of culturing Hanwoo satellite cells (HWSCs) to identify constituent proliferation enhancing factors. Six different serum-free media were selected, and the HWSC proliferation rates in these serum-free media were compared with that of control medium supplemented with 20% FBS. Among the six media, cell proliferation rates were higher only in StemFlex^TM Medium (SF) and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Medium DXF (MS) than in the control medium. SF and MS contain high fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) concentrations, and we found upregulated FGF2 protein expression in cells cultured in SF or MS. Activation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1)-mediated signaling pathway and stimulation of muscle satellite cell proliferation-related factors were confirmed by the presence of related biomarkers (FGFR1, FRS2, Raf1, ERK, p38, Pax7, and MyoD) as indicated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry. Moreover, PD173074, an FGFR1 inhibitor suppressed cell proliferation in SF and MS and downregulated related biomarkers (FGFR1, FRS2, Raf1, and ERK). The promotion of cell proliferation in SF and MS was therefore attributed to FGF2, which indicates that FGFR1 activation in muscle satellite cells may be a target for improving the efficiency of cell-cultivated meat production.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2020

Producing animal products from farm to table emits massive amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Modified meal plans, mainly including vegetables and grains, have been recommended to reduce GHG emissions. However, these meal plans have not been developed with regard to the micronutrient content, but rather with regard to the energy requirements of grains and vegetables, which could result in a nutritional imbalance. For this reason, we investigated a common Korean suggested meal plan (SMP) from the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, in which nutritional conditions were considered, and evaluated its GHG emissions using the Life Cycle Assessment Inventory Database and nutritional values. The SMP, which included meat, was based on the Korean Nutrition Society for adult men age 19 to 29, and was changed to a vegan meal plan (VMP). Animal-based protein sources were substituted for meat alternatives, such as beans and tofu, for which carbon footprint data was available. To compare the nutritional differences, the 9^th Korean Food Composition Tables I and II were consulted. To calculate GHG emissions, the carbon footprint data of the food was converted to a CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) using a procedure from the Foundation of Agriculture Technology Commercialization and Transfer. It was found that GHG emissions per calorie were 18% lower for the VMP when compared to the SMP. However, if GHG emissions per total amino acids were evaluated, the VMP GHG emissions per total amino acids were 0.12 g CO₂e/mg, while the corresponding value for the SMP was 0.06 g CO₂e/mg. The Korean daily meat intake reported by the Korea Agricultural Statistics Service was 37.1% lower than in the SMP, but when converted to a protein intake the figure was 17.0% lower. It was found that each SMP resulted in more GHG emissions than the VMP, but when considered as GHG emissions per total amino acids, the opposite pattern was apparent. There is a need to conduct more detailed studies of the variation in GHG emissions with different meal plans, using the daily meat intake per person.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.94-97
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• 2006

Proteolytic enzymes and ginger extract were effective on tenderising M. pectoralis profundus, resulting in higher collagen solubility, a decrease of melting denaturation temperature and WBSF compared with the control. Comparing all treatments, bromelain treatment showed to be higher for collagen solubility than other treatments, but no significant differences in onset and melting denaturation temperature of intramuscular connective tissue were found. These corresponded to WBSF results. The present study indicates that ginger extract might be effectively able to be utilised in pilot level as better alternatives to bromelain and papain for tenderisation of tough meat, such as cull cow and beef cuts with many collagen.