Prebiotic Meat Products

The consumption of meat products has been done since ancient times due to its high nutritional value, but recent studies have been pointing out the importance of rethinking their formulation and processing to obtain healthier and functional meat products, especially with the addition of prebiotics. Prebiotics are food components that are fermented by select gut microbiota and generate health-related physiological responses in host. Inulin is a natural polymer that fits this concept and has a main backbone and branched chains composed of fructofuranosyl sub-units. In addition to the numerous studies supporting its health benefits, the use of inulin has been tested in many meat products with relevant results regarding the level of incorporation and impact in product quality. This chapter describes the preparation and incorporation of inulin in a traditional fermented sausage and mortadella.