High-tech methods to support meat processing and export
The EU is the world’s biggest producer of food and beverage products, making agro-food one of the most important sectors for the bloc’s economic wellbeing. This requires the EU to assess foodstuffs efficiently using more cutting-edge approaches that can support this growing sector. Within this context, the EU-funded HIGHVALFOOD (The Application of Modern Proteomic and Metabolomic Methodologies in the Assessment of High Added-Value Traditional Meat Products) took up the challenge. Exploiting state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and data analysis technology, it worked on launching new proteomic- and metabolomic-based solutions to evaluate the quality of traditional foodstuffs. To achieve its aim, the project team worked on identifying and quantifying novel biologically active peptides in order to influence the nutritional value of traditional meat products. Focusing as well on the well-known Spanish dry-cured ham, it studied peptide behaviour and nutrition throughout the curing process in order to boost its safety. The new approach enabled the team to identify antihypertensive, antioxidant and antimicrobial peptides in the ham. It also helped deepen the industry’s understanding of processing times related to ripening and curing, with the aim of promoting food safety and nutrition. To illustrate, the new approach helps improve estimation of sodium chloride content in cured ham and alert consumers with hypertension through more accurate information on the label. It improves labelling and minimises the possibility of labelling fraud, advancing consumer protection and strengthening export prospects. The new cutting-edge methods can be applied to different meat products and eventually to other food categories, giving a welcome boost to the European agro-food industry and to exports.
Keywords
Meat, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, proteomics, peptides
