Meat tenderization mechanism and the impact of plant exogenous proteases: A review

Meat products are considered as one of the most demanding food items from a point of sale perspective and tenderness of meat plays a dominant role in enhancing the meat palatability. The current review describes the meat tenderization mechanism, chemical, physical and conventional protocols to evaluate the extent of meat tenderness and the impact of plant based exogenous proteases. Even though proteolytic enzymes are produced in commercial scale, most of the meat products reach the market without any treatment. Lack of technical knowhow on commercial extractions and inadequate literature on some proteases has been identified as the gaps to be fulfilled. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.