Food Security and Sustainability

There were increasing reports on food-borne carcinogens and mutagens resulting from meat processing in recent decades, such as grilling, barbecuing, frying and smoking. High-temperature cooking methods generate compounds that may contribute to carcinogenic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), trans-fatty acids (TFAs), formaldehyde, and PM2.5. Conclusions on the possible risk of certain human cancers caused by consumption of processed meat were drawn since 1990s. This symposium introduced Green Manufacture Technology (GMT) for processed meat, which is characterized by developing meat products by thermo-mechanical drying (below 120oC), that is, with non-grilling, non-frying, non-smoking and non-braising. A series of meat products developed by GMT have remarkable reduced content of hazardous chemicals such as PHAs, HAAs, TFAs, formaldehyde and PM2.5, while maintained attractive color, pleasant flavor and favorable texture as well.