Enrichment of chicken meat with dietary fibre sources as functional ingredients

SUMMARY Chicken meat products that are ready-to-cook/ready-to-eat are gaining popularity among the consumers due to their ease of preparation/consumption. In the present global scenario, there is a considerable demand for health oriented, minimally processed poultry products with all natural ingredients. Hence, there is prime need for the value addition of chicken meat by developing functional foods, focusing on the health benefits of the consumers. The role of dietary fibre in the nutrition is immense in maintaining the human well-being, and in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer and several other health disorders. Since meat is devoid of dietary fibre, extensive research works are being carried out on enrichment of chicken meat with dietary fibre sources as functional ingredients in the chicken meat products. In this review, the significance of dietary fibres in human nutrition, various types of dietary fibre sources and their utilisation in the development of chicken meat products will be discussed.