Approaches to Assess the Functionality of Meat Products Made from the Incorporation of Vegetable By-Products: A Review

The reformulation of meat products, considering the beneficial effects of vegetable matrices, is a priority area for different food programs and the meat industry sector. The use of fruit and vegetable by-products allows their revalorization to create functional products and contribute to pollution reduction. However, the addition of beneficial compounds to meat products is not enough to claim the functional properties. For this purpose, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies should be previously considered during the development phases of functional foods. The data obtained from the studies show how the compounds interact with the different meat matrices and can exert a beneficial effect on human health. The information provided is important to predict and elucidate the way the biocompounds are metabolized and bio-transformed in the body, to exert a positive effect on consumers' health. This manuscript aimed to review reported studies in vitro and in vivo, as well as the in silico tools to validate the functionality of fruits by-products added to the meat. In summary, adding fruit and vegetable by-products in meat products could be considered an exciting strategy to improve functional characteristics and enhance the availability of new products in the market