Phytochemicals delivery systems in muscle food preservation: An updated review of micro/nano encapsulation, active edible packaging and their combinations

The quality assurance of muscle foods poses a significant challenge, as they serve as crucial dietary sources for human health. Currently, there is a growing interest in utilizing phytochemicals as a natural solution for preserving muscle foods due to their advantageous bioactive properties and safety profile. The encapsulation of phytochemicals through controlled release technology holds promise in improving the stability, bioavailability, and sustained antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of these compounds in muscle food preservation. Optimizing the physicochemical properties and biological activities of phytochemicals improves their applicability and expands their functionalities when applied to the preservation of muscle foods. This study underscores the impact of microbial degradation, lipid-protein oxidation, and the generation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) as critical factors influencing the quality and safety of muscle food preservation. More importantly, various controlled release systems that employ phytochemicals as active preparations in muscle food preservation are summarized. They can be divided into three main categories: micro-nanoencapsulation, active edible packaging, and their combinations.