Application of probiotic delivery systems in meat products

•Probiotic meat products are interesting for industrial and consumer proposal.•Different probiotic delivery strategies are use in healthy meat products.•New strategies ensure enhanced viability of probiotics even in cooked meat products.•The sensorial and technological consideration are needed in probiotic meat products.

BackgroundIn recent years, probiotic foods have received special attention. The most commonly used probiotic microorganisms are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and to a lesser degree, Enterococcus and Pediococcus due to their importance for consumer health. Probiotics have also been used as food bioprotectors.Scopes and approachThis review addresses the potential use of different probiotic delivery strategies for use in meat products to guarantee the viability of the microorganisms throughout the different stages of processing, conservation and preparation, the aim being to obtain probiotic meat products (in some cases even combined with prebiotics) with a positive impact on consumer health.Key findings and conclusionsIn the case of meat products, these studies have mostly focused on fermented meats and, to a lesser degree, on cooked frankfurter-type products or fresh products because the processing to which they are subjected does not guarantee full viability of the microorganisms. Traditionally, starters as free cells have been used to incorporate these microorganisms into meat products. More recently, new microorganism immobilization techniques such as encapsulation have been tested. These new strategies ensure enhanced viability even in meat products subject to thermal treatment during processing or cooking.