Trends in Food Science & Technology最新文献

{"title":"Interactions of microbiota during solid-state cereal vinegar fermentation","authors":"Dantong Liu ,&nbsp;Zhenhua Su ,&nbsp;Qi Han ,&nbsp;Liting Wang ,&nbsp;Linna Tu ,&nbsp;Yongjian Yu ,&nbsp;Menglei Xia ,&nbsp;Yanbing Shen ,&nbsp;Yu Zheng ,&nbsp;Min Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Solid-state vinegar fermentation, predominantly practiced in China, is characterized by high microbial diversity, multi-substrate co-decomposition, abundant metabolite production, pronounced environmental heterogeneity, and complex interaction networks that collectively shape vinegar quality. However, this process remains largely experience-driven, with limited digitalization and an incomplete understanding of microbial interaction mechanisms. Key challenges include unclear interaction mechanisms, insufficient application of modeling tools such as genome-scale metabolic models, and limited capacity for dynamic process control. Addressing these gaps is essential for improving fermentation efficiency, stabilizing flavor quality, and advancing vinegar modernization.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review is centered on microbial interactions and outlines the metabolic division of labor of key microorganisms in solid-state fermentation and their roles in flavor formation. It examines microbial ecological relationships and interaction mechanisms, and analyzes how environmental heterogeneity regulates microbial interactions. The review further introduces synthetic microbial communities as tools for mechanism validation and functional reconstruction. Finally, based on clarified mechanisms, it discusses how key microbial, metabolic, and environmental information can be translated into model inputs to construct digital twin systems for directional control.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Environmental heterogeneity plays a role in shaping microbial interaction patterns, thereby influencing metabolic division of labor, fermentation efficiency, and flavor formation. Microbial interactions, rather than individual species, are drivers of community stability, functional metabolite production, and flavor complexity. The integrated application of synthetic microbial communities, metabolic flux models, and digital twin technologies constitutes a predictive framework for dissecting microbial interactions, optimizing key consortia, and achieving targeted regulation of cereal vinegar fermentation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105536"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accelerating cultivated meat bioprocess innovation: Rational design of cost-effective serum-free media via the convergence of data-driven analytics and synthetic biology platforms","authors":"Nuo Chen ,&nbsp;Qinya Niu ,&nbsp;Qinghua Ye ,&nbsp;Qingping Wu ,&nbsp;Yuwei Wu ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zhao ,&nbsp;Qihui Gu ,&nbsp;Youxiong Zhang ,&nbsp;Xianhu Wei ,&nbsp;Ying Li ,&nbsp;Ling Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The high cost and ethical concerns surrounding fetal bovine serum (FBS) have remained critical bottlenecks in scaling cultivated meat (CM) production. Current serum-free media (SFM) development has faced multidimensional challenges, including incomplete understanding of diverse cell line growth requirements, time-consuming optimization cycles, and high mass-production costs. While traditional trial-and-error approaches have produced suboptimal solutions, computational tools and synthetic biology advances offer unprecedented opportunities for systematic medium design and optimization.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review examined the benefits and constraints of SFM relative to conventional serum-based media, highlighted key challenges in SFM development and optimization for CM, and proposed potential strategies to address these limitations. We further introduced an integrated framework leveraging data-driven analytics and synthetic biology for rational design and optimization of cost-effective SFM.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>The adoption of SFM in CM production was limited by lengthy development phases and substantial industrialization costs. To address these challenges, we proposed a combined strategy incorporating multi-omics profiling, systems biology, multi-scale metabolic modeling, machine learning (ML), and real-time monitoring, adaptive feeding-guided SFM formulation. Additionally, synthetic biology approaches, such as food-grade production of growth factors (GFs) and functional GF substitutes to reduce cost, cell line engineering, and cell sorting technologies to decrease exogenous dependencies, as well as circular bioprocessing for improved sustainability, offered viable routes toward lowering large-scale production expenses. When implemented in synergy, these technologies will pave the way for efficient and scalable SFM-based CM industrialization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105526"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in molecular dynamics simulation of meat protein and small molecule interactions: insights into mechanisms and applications","authors":"Xia Hu,&nbsp;Ziyi Zhang,&nbsp;Haotian Liu,&nbsp;Baohua Kong,&nbsp;Chao Zhang,&nbsp;Ligang Qin,&nbsp;Zengwang Guo,&nbsp;Qian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a powerful computational tool that has become a fundamental technique in food science. By bridging the critical gap between macroscopic experimental data and microscopic mechanisms, it serves as an effective method for studying interactions between meat proteins and small molecules.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This article reviews recent research progress on the use of MD simulations to elucidate the interaction mechanisms between meat proteins and small molecules. First, the fundamental principles, key technical parameters, and general simulation procedures of MD simulations are introduced. Next, a comprehensive review is provided of specific cases involving the application of MD simulations to study interactions between meat proteins and various types of small molecules. Finally, current challenges and future development trends in this research field are discussed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>MD simulations systematically reveal the interaction mechanisms between meat proteins and small molecules at the molecular level. They provide critical insights into molecular recognition patterns, dynamic binding processes, protein conformational changes, and binding affinities. These simulation results effectively overcome the limitations of traditional experimental methods in capturing instantaneous molecular events and protein conformational rearrangements, thereby offering essential theoretical support for studying molecular interaction mechanisms in meat food systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105556"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of cultivated meat cell sources and cell type usage across species: Functional roles and engineering potential","authors":"Quentin Muller ,&nbsp;Michiya Matsusaki","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2025.105524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of cultivated meat (CM) relies on the selection and optimization of cell sources with the capacity to recreate the structure, flavor, and nutritional content of animal-derived meat. This review compares key cell types used in CM, satellite cells (SCs), adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), across multiple species, including bovine, porcine, avian, piscine, and others. Comparative observations reveal inter- and intra-species differences in cell marker expression, culture conditions, differentiation potential and overall utilization in CM. Species-specific characteristics such as proliferation potential, differentiation capacity, and metabolic outputs critically influence CM final production, flavor profile, and scalability. Beyond real meat (RM)-derived cells, alternative and auxiliary cell types are also becoming important in CM system design. Co-culture systems involving algae, cyanobacteria, and probiotic microbes are emerging as innovative approaches to reduce serum use, recycle waste metabolites, and supply endogenous nutrients and growth factors. This review highlights the need for robust characterization of species- and breed-specific cell behaviors to inform cell line development, media formulation, and tissue engineering strategies. Greater transparency and standardization in cross-species comparisons are essential to ensure reproducibility, regulatory clarity, and the production of CM with authentic sensory and nutritional attributes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105524"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145876910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turtle shell as a health food ingredient: a review of global utilization, nutritients, health benefits, and functional food potential","authors":"Mengying Ren ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Lu ,&nbsp;Zhengrong Li ,&nbsp;Tao Ye ,&nbsp;Yuan Song ,&nbsp;Huizi Lu ,&nbsp;Nianyue Lai ,&nbsp;Xudong Xiang ,&nbsp;Li Yang ,&nbsp;Lin Lin ,&nbsp;Shaotong Jiang ,&nbsp;Yun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105574","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105574","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In recent years, with the rapid growth of global turtle farming, turtle shell, as a major by-product, has been used in traditional medicine and health foods, gaining increased attention for its nutritional and bioactive value.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review systematically summarized the classification and global utilization of turtle shells, as well as the regulatory policies on its use. From a “component–activity–product” perspective, its key nutrients, health benefits, and application prospects in relation to health food development were reviewed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Global research on turtle nutrition and health has shown regional variations, shaped by conservation needs and international regulations. While Western countries like the United States, Brazil, and Australia emphasized the nutritional value of turtle fat, China has focused on the health benefits of turtle shell as a by-product. Moreover, turtle shells contain proteins, amino acids, minerals, fatty acids/esters, steroids, peptides, and polysaccharides, providing anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, immunomodulatory, hematopoietic, and blood pressure- and lipid-regulating effects. Moreover, they can potentially treat osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and liver cancer. They have also been used in products like beverages, turtle jelly, gelatin, starch-based foods, and medicinal wines. However, future research should investigate its health benefits based on composition or determine the active compounds from bioactivities, supporting its development into functional foods and therapeutics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105574"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low glycemic index foods: A comprehensive review of health implications, influencing factors, and innovative design strategies","authors":"Tianyi Yuan ,&nbsp;Wenwen Yu ,&nbsp;Yitao Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The global prevalence of metabolic diseases necessitates effective dietary interventions. The glycemic index (GI) is a critical nutritional tool for classifying carbohydrate-rich foods based on their postprandial blood glucose response (PPGR), yet its application faces challenges regarding variability and predictive accuracy.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review provides a comprehensive and critical appraisal of the GI concept. It systematically examines the factors governing GI values, from food microstructure and processing to inter-individual physiology, and explores the limitations of traditional measurement methods. The article further synthesizes strategies for developing low-GI foods and evaluates the role of emerging digital technologies in advancing the field.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>The evidence robustly supports the benefits of low-GI diets for metabolic health. However, the glycemic response is not an intrinsic property of food but is profoundly modulated by the food matrix and significant inter-individual variability, largely driven by gut microbiota and metabolic phenotype. To overcome these complexities, the integration of artificial intelligence with advanced <em>in vitro</em> models offers a promising path for accurate GI prediction. The future of GI application lies in personalized nutrition, leveraging continuous glucose monitoring and data-driven frameworks to translate this physiological concept into effective public health strategies and functional food innovation. This review thereby provides a critical bridge from fundamental food science to practical application, framing the GI as a dynamic tool for personalized nutrition and next-generation functional food design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105562"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food metagenomics integrated with multi-Omics and AI: Functional insights, microbiome engineering and predictive bioprocessing for sustainable food preservation","authors":"Atif Khurshid Wani ,&nbsp;Showkeen Muzamil Bashir ,&nbsp;Noureddine Elboughdiri ,&nbsp;Karim Kriaa ,&nbsp;Chemseddine Maatki ,&nbsp;Bilel Hadrich ,&nbsp;Jaskaran Singh ,&nbsp;Reena Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Advances in metagenomics have revolutionized the understanding of food-associated microbiomes, revealing their taxonomic diversity and functional capacity in fermentation, spoilage, and preservation. Genome-resolved metagenomics and multi-omics integration now enable functional reconstruction of complex microbial ecosystems, uncovering novel metabolic pathways, antimicrobial biosynthetic gene clusters, and stress-adaptive traits. Microbiome engineering and synthetic consortia design are emerging as sustainable biocontrol strategies that minimize reliance on chemical preservatives and promote ecological balance in food systems.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review synthesizes recent developments in metagenomic exploration and multi-omics integration to map microbial dynamics in food ecosystems. It examines how metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), functional annotation, and hybrid long-read sequencing enhance understanding of microbial succession, spoilage mechanisms, and fermentation processes. The review also highlights the rise of synthetic microbial consortia, CRISPR-based modulation, and AI-driven digital twins as transformative tools for precision fermentation and predictive food bioprocessing.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Metagenomic and multi-omics technologies are redefining food biocontrol by linking microbial function to ecosystem performance. Genome mining reveals extensive reservoirs of bacteriocins, endolysins, and quorum-quenching enzymes with potential for natural preservation. Integrative omics provides a systems-level view of microbial interactions, enabling predictive, adaptive, and circular bioprocesses. Microbiome engineering thus emerges as a viable, eco-efficient alternative to synthetic additives, driving the transition from empirical fermentation to intelligent, microbiome-tailored food systems. The convergence of omics, synthetic biology, and AI marks a new era of smart, sustainable, and precision-guided food preservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105566"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advances in utilization of tamarind seed as a sustainable source for development of food packaging","authors":"Haitao Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Pan ,&nbsp;Chang Liu ,&nbsp;Rongrong Ma ,&nbsp;Yaoqi Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Petroleum-based plastics would lead to the environmental concerns and negative impacts on human health. Therefore, the focus towards biodegradable and sustainable packaging derived from renewable resources is imperative. The ineffective management of food waste would also result in undesirable environmental problems. Recently, the revalorization of agricultural by-products has garnered much attention in the research of biodegradable and environment-friendly food packaging due to their sustainable and economic advantages.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This work provides a novel and comprehensive review focusing on the use of tamarind seed-derived materials, predominantly including tamarind seed powder (TSP), tamarind seed starch (TSS), tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSPS), tamarind seed cellulose (TSC), and tamarind seed extract (TSE), as sustainable resources for developing food packaging. Furthermore, the applications of tamarind seed-derived food packaging for the preservation of various foodstuffs are underlined.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>TSS and TSPS present great promise biopolymers for the fabrication of biodegradable food packaging. Furthermore, the overall performance of TSS- and TSPS-based food packaging could be further improved by incorporating reinforcing fillers and active agents, which would enhance their physical properties and simultaneously endow them with excellent functional capacities for food preservation applications. Tamarind seed-derived packaging has demonstrated effectiveness in preserving various foodstuffs. The revalorization of tamarind seeds into food packaging applications might to some extent foster the sustainability of tamarind processing chain and promote circular economy. However, several hurdles should still be considered in future studies, primarily including scalable production and maximizing overall waste valorization, improving intrinsic limitations, and safety concerns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105534"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-Biotics - Dual modulation of the host and the microbiota","authors":"James Versalovic ,&nbsp;Eran Segal ,&nbsp;Emeran A. Mayer ,&nbsp;Glenn R. Gibson ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Morelli ,&nbsp;Gregor Reid","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Current health interventions, including food ingredients, bioactive compounds and dietary supplements that act through the gut microbiome, can support whole-body health as well as provide metabolic effects and energy functions. Product examples include probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods, all well defined by expert panels. However, the term co-biotics has recently appeared in scientific publications and commerce without a definition or clarity.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>We performed a literature and product review with the goal of identifying how the term co-biotics was being used. We then assessed it within the context of other microbiome-based biotics.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>With the aim of bringing clarity to the field, we propose that co-biotics are defined as “<em>A compound that simultaneously modulates biological processes in both the host and resident microbiota, to</em> confer <em>a health benefit</em>\". This covers a unique dual targeting of host cells and the gut microbiome, allowing for enhanced function and health promoting effects. We illustrate how to develop future co-biotics, as differentiated from other defined biotics, and discuss delivery requirements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105561"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies for balancing salt reduction and quality assurance in muscle products: Focus on salt alternatives and physical technologies","authors":"Ying Yu ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Wuyun Chen ,&nbsp;Ying Li ,&nbsp;Sheng Chen ,&nbsp;Tingting Zhang ,&nbsp;Quanyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujuan Xu ,&nbsp;Xin Du ,&nbsp;Xiufang Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Salt not only enhances flavor but also enhances safety and quality by exerting antimicrobial effects and enhancing water-holding capacity in muscle products. Historically, excessive salt has been used in processed muscle foods to enhance taste and texture, leading to concerns regarding its link to hypertension and other health issues. Consequently, strategies to reduce salt intake have become more prominent, focusing on preserving product quality while reducing the risk of salt-related chronic conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This paper examines the dual role of salt in muscle foods and human health, clarifies the effects of salt on muscle protein, assesses existing salt reduction strategies, and explores their impact on the overall quality of seafood products with reduced salt content.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Salt exerts a complex dual role in muscle foods and human health. Beyond confirming that muscle proteins display favorable structural and functional characteristics under moderate salt condition, recent studies have identified several innovative salt-reduction strategies that balance quality and health. Salty peptides and hollow salt enhance salt perception with less salt, while gel-based salt substitutes show strong potential for maintaining the texture of low-salt muscle products. In addition, physical-assisted techniques facilitate protein structural modification and quality preservation under reduced salt conditions. These approaches provide technological support for low-salt minced seafood products without compromising sensory quality, texture, or nutritional value. This review establishes a theoretical basis and technological direction for producing safer, healthier products in the muscle food industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 105530"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}