Meat as a functional food with special reference to probiotic sausages

Abstract
The market for functional foods has seen a sharp rise in demand in the recent years. This has driven researchers to multiply their efforts in producing functional meat products also. Feed manipulation and post-mortem modification of meat coupled with enrichment of bioactive compounds is gaining importance. This review discusses the candidate ingredients and strategies, utilized in crafting such functional meat products, and the notable developments and commercial successes in functional meat industry. Dry fermented sausages meet the conditions re uired to carry viable probiotic microbes. This article enlists various microorganisms that are being commercially used in functional food products and potential bacteria for probiotic sausage production.

Introduction
!hen "ippocrates said #$et food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food#, nearly %&'' (.)., he could not possibly have been more accurate in predicting the eating trends and preferences of the present world*s consumer. )onsumer education, driven by many factors such as Modern health worries, +egative affect and "ealthier life styles, has brought about a demographic change in consumer preferences ,-.. )onsumers nowadays look forward not only to safe and nutritious food products, but they also demand that it should be healthy and natural ,%.. /n the cornucopia of modern cookery functional foods offer a more natural and healthy way of life. 0lso the use of chemicals in order to process and preserve food is facing re1ection from the consumer. /n conte2t of the consumer health there has been a constant debate about cutting down the use of chemicals and promoting a natural way of life, and as a result reducing the medication costs ,3.. For a food to be called a functional food its ingredients shall come from natural sources and when consumed it should regulate physiological functions of the human body like retarding ageing and supporting the immune system against diseases ,4.. Meat is a highly nutritious food rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins ,especially 5itamin (. and minerals ,like zinc and iron. ,&67.. )onsumers are now demanding functional meat products which have reduced contents of salt, nitrates, cholesterol fraction and fat and whose fatty acid profile has been modified. )onsumer demand for meat products with incorporated functional ingredients has also seen a sharp rise in recent years ,4.. 0rihara ,%''7. has reviewed the enhancement of meat and meat products with bioactive compounds that are naturally present in meat and their enhancement effects on human physiology. These naturally found compounds include anserine, carnosine, glutathione, $-carnitine, creatine and taurine. /t has been found that many bioactive peptides are also produced during the processing of meat like fermentation and hydrolysis 8o the generation of these compounds and subse uent enrichment in meat products can prove beneficial for human health ,3.. Functional foods market has grown rapidly in the past decade. 980, +orthern :urope and central :uropean countries are prospect future markets of world as the consumers are becoming more interested and understanding of the idea behind such foods ,;..

<esearch has shown that the microbial flora of the gastro-intestinal tract ,=/T. has a tremendous effect on the health of an individual. For more than a century lactic acid bacteria have been known to possess beneficial impact on health ,3.. /n food products such as fermented milk products containing $0(, were shown to be health promoting agents ,>.. "e suggested an increase in average age of people who had higher intakes of fermented milk products. 5ergin ,?. was the first one to introduce the term @@probiotic**. $illy and 8tillwell ,?. postulated probiotics as @@microbes which promote the growth of other microbes**. 0 probiotic is a viable microbe which supplements or maintains a beneficial balance of the natural microorganisms present in the human gastrointestinal tract ,?.. The health benefits of probiotics are anchored in the presence of beneficial viable strains of microorganisms, which, when ingested in ample uantity, boost the health of the host ,F0AB!"A, %''-.. Cre-biotics and symbiotic products are also widely available in markets. Cre-biotics are indigestible material that act as a supportive matri2 for probiotics and symbiotics are a mi2ture of pre and probiotics.

1. Meat as a functional food

/n respect to meat and meat products consumers are more critical of its safety than any other food. The risk of chronic cardiovascular disease associated with meat has been criticized by medical and nutritional fields ,%.. /ts saturated fatty acid profile and the presence of nitrites and salts also give birth to serious problems ,-'.. Meat is a highly nutritious food with high degree of bioavailability and consumers have a high degree of preference for its taste and flavor. 8imple measures to resolve this matter include selecting leaner cuts, mechanical removal of fat, feed modification to induce changes in fatty acid profile. 0 more diverse and effective strategy is the inclusion of functional ingredients with health promoting effects. 0ccording to Decker ,7. such ingredients credited as being DfunctionalE have to be considered for their intake level, their efficiency in providing physiological benefits, stability and technological performance ,like storage stability and effect on sensory characters.. Moreover the deficiencies in regular diets and e2isting health issues in a region will be decisive for inclusion of these ingredients in a product. 8ome of the essential nutrients which can be considered functional in meat products are 5itamin 0, : and ) and minerals like Magnesium, calcium and potassium. +on-essential components which can be supplemented with meat include dietry fibre,

long chain omega-3 fatty acids, bioactive peptides, con1ugated linoleic acid, probiotic bacteria, prebiotics and antio2idants.

1.1. Strategies for functional meat production

0ccording to FernFndez, ,-%. changes in meat composition can be brought about either by feed modification ,e.g. content of lipids, fatty acids and 5itamin :. or postmortem modification ,e.g. mechanical removal of fat.. Most of the industrial innovative research has been focused on production of low-fat meat products but there has been a tentative attitude towards inclusion of more effective and active physiological compounds into meat products. 0 number of low-fat meat products have found their way into consumer markets in many countries. 0 simple and effective strategy for production of functional meat products is to incorporate functional ingredients such as vegetable proteins ,including soy, wheat and whey proteins., fibers ,peach, wheat and oat bran., antio2idants, probiotics and prebiotics ,4.. $actic acid bacteria are naturally present in human =/T and have a probiotic nature and they have been used in meat products for a very long time ,--6 %.. Many FA8"9 products have been formulated by addition of soy proteins and dietary fibers. 8ome pork sausages have been formulated with indigestible de2trin supplementation and they have been proved rectify intestinal malfunctions. (lood cholesterol lowering effects have been observed by consumption of a low-fat sausage supplemented with soy proteins. (esides FA8"9 products several meat products complemented with dietry fibers, proteins and calcium have also been marketed in Gapan. 8upplementation of food products, especially meat products, with proteins from vegetable origin has proved to be both nutritionally and functionally beneficial. 8oy proteins contain such typical proteins which provide health-enhancing benefits. They have been associated with health benefits such as prevention from cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. 0ccording to Cszczola ,-%. a sausage with reduced fat and complementation with modified potato starch has been prepared and marketed in 980 markets. This supplementation leads to an enhancement of gut flora and suppression in daily fat intake. 0pilight is a renowned commercial group of meat products marketed in Gapan which are famous for their positive health effects, because of elimination of allergens from these products, ,some of these products are pork sausages, pizzas, hamburger steak and meat balls.. Meat is less

allergenic than common allergy inducing foods such as soya, milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, fruits, shellfish, and treenuts ,-3.. The FA8"9 products generally contain following ingredients solely or in combination6 oligosaccharides, dietary fibers, $actic acid bacteria, sugar alcohols, sterol esters, diacylglycerols, soy proteins, peptides, calcium, iron, glycosides and polyphenols.

1.1.1. Feed supplementation

Feed can be supplemented with functional ingredients like con1ugated linoleic acid, 5itamin :, Amega-3 fatty acids and 8elenium in order to enhance their health promoting effects. )$0 has been attributed to be of immense physiological importance due to its antio2idative, antiobesity, anticarcinogen, antiatherosclerotic, antidiabetogenic, immuno-protective and bone forming activities ,4.. 8imilarly 5itamin : supplementation in feed prevents deteriorative changes linked to o2idative reactions in lipids and protein in fresh and processed meat ,4.. /t also serves its purpose in tenderization of meat by the means of proteolytic reactions ,-4.. 0nother notable function of 5itamin : as a functional ingredient in meat products is its inhibitory effect on phospholipases which reduces calcium concentration inside muscle and reduces rigor mortis ,-&.. Amega 3 fatty acids, both long and short chain, are considered beneficial for human health. <eduction in onset of cardiovascular disease due to an increase in serum thrombo2ane production has been reported after habitual intake of pork enriched with H3 fatty acid ,-7.. H3 fatty acids decrease the formation of cytokines, o2ygen radicals and eicosanoids responsible for induction of inflammation and thus are known to regulate chronic inflammation ,-;.. 0n increase in H3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in animal muscle can be achieved by feed enhancement with fats and oils. Fish oil is a good choice to bring about an increase in these fatty acids as it indicated an increase in H3 C9F0 in chicken ,->. 8elenium is another important ingredient with numerous physiological functions in our body that can be supplemented in the diets of animals to increase its content in meat. 0 selenium deficiency can lead to reduced functionality of immune system as well as increased cancer chances ,-?.. Cork enriched with selenium with the brand name of

D8elen CorkE has been marketed in Iorea and it was appreciated for its fleshy and bright red color ,%'..

1.1.2. Enhancement of bioactive compounds

8upplementation of bioactive compounds naturally occurring in meat and bioactive peptides produced during processing ,e.g. fermentation. is an effective approach to enhance the nutritive status of meat products. The most important bioactive compounds naturally present in meat areJ Conjugated linoleic acid Cerhaps the most attractive constituent of meat for researchers is )$0. (eef contains appro2imately 7K? mg of )$0 per gram of fat ,7.. Due to its strong antio2idant properties it is an efficient anticarcinogenic it also serves as an immunomodulative agent ,%-.. Manipulation of animal diet with oilseeds high in linoleic and linolenic acids can yield an increase of upto 3 times in dietary )$0 in beef ,%%.. /t has been suggested that intake of dairy products with high fat content in addition to )$0 may diminish the likelihood of colorectal cancer to occur ,%3.. Carnosine and Anserine These two belong to the group of histdyl dipeptides and have a strong antio2idant nature. )arnosine concentration ranges from &''-%;'' mgBg in chicken and pork respectively. )hicken has been found to be rich in anserine ,3.. "istidyl dipeptides have been reported to retard stress related ageing. Ather histidyl dipeptides include glutathione, carotenoids, lipoic acid and uric acid which are found in skeletal muscles ,%4.. !Carnitine (eef has been found to be abundant in carnitine with concentrations of -3'' mg per kg ,3.. $-)arnitine has been reported to reduce blood serum cholesterol level and to offer a helping hand in calcium absorption. /t also reduces chances of cardiovascular failure and skeletal myopathy ,%&.. "ioactive peptides (ioactive peptides formed as a result of proteolytic activity are highly regarded by researchers as they are reported to perform a number of vital physiological roles in human body ,3.. (ioactive peptides being antihypertensive help to control blood pressure

by inhibiting the action of with angiotensin /-converting enzyme, which is the reason they are referred to as 0): inhibitors ,7.. These compounds are inactive in the parent protein but upon proteolytic digestion or artificial hydrolysis yield biologically active compounds ,3.. Croteolytic reactions that associated with fermentation of dry-cured ham and raw sausages have been studied rigorously by ToldrF ,%7.. The first effect of fermentation on proteins is the degradation of proteins into their peptides by endogenous enzymes. The proteolytic activity of most microbes e.g., lactobacilli which grow in fermented sausages is uiet feeble so the proteolysis and resultant production of peptides is not affected by bacteria to a great e2tent. +evertheless, $0( lends a helping hand by virtue of decreasing the p" of the matri2 and thus increasing the activity of proteases naturally present in muscles ,%;.. Ceptides and amino acids account for -L of the total dry matter produced during fermentation of the sausages ,%>.. /n a study e2tracts of several :uropean fermented sausages were taken and their 0): inhibitory activities were measured, the resultant data shows that their activity levels were higher as compared to those of nonfermented pork meat products6 this suggests that there may be some generation of bioactive peptides ,0rihara et al., %''4.. (ioactive peptides can be effectively released by the utilization of commercial proteases. Many peptides have been e2perimentally generated by the above mentioned method ,%?.. <ecently, the role of $0( as a starter culture in enhancing the sensory properties and bio-protection, as a result of peptide generation, has been comprehensively reported ,3'.. Crotease sources including animal protein, plant protein, and microbial source have been utilized for digestion of food proteins. Meat tenderizers which are actually proteolytic enzymes have been used for uiet a long time in the meat industry ,3-.. Clant origin enzymes are the most utilized proteases for tenderization purpose ,mainly because of the safety and ethical aspect. e2amples of commonly utilized plant proteases include bromelain, papain and ficin. "owever biogenic amine generation is a problem that can occur due to tenderizer usage.

1.1.#. $eformulation
1.1.#.1. Fat reduction and modification Mechanical or chemical removal of fat is a simple way to reduce negative impact of unhealthy saturated fatty acids found in meat ,3.. "owever a reduction in fat from

meat samples has been found to produce undesirable changes in te2ture and an increase in cooking losses is also e2perienced ,3%.. Cigs and poultry meat is suitable for the addition of unsaturated fatty acids as indicated by many studies ,33.. Modification in fatty acid profile of meat creates some serious technological problems like a decrease in o2idative stability and flavor changes upon heating due to o2idative stress. Aleic acid addition has been found to be most effective in this case because it is more stable to o2idative changes than any other fatty acid. =enerally such modifications are done with a supportive addition of antio2idants to suppress the o2idation problems. 0 more effective strategy would be to incorporate long chain omega-3 fatty acids directly into meat products which have been already processed. :ncapsulation and subse uent addition of these fatty acids into meat products has proved to be effective and without creating any unwanted sensorial or technological problems ,7.. Cork sausage and ground turkey have been e2perimented with an encapsulated mi2ture of antio2idants successfully ,34.. 0 reduction of %'-3'L of pork fat and subse uent replacement with grape-seed oil and rice bran has been reported to be effective in reducing cooking losses and improving the te2ture of products formulated by this method ,3&.. )anola oil has also been reported to be a successful substitute in low-fat meat products which restores the te2tural and cooking losses associated with fat reduction ,37.. 1.1.#.1. Addition of vegetal and dair% proteins& 0ddition of various protein e2tracts from dairy and plant origin is an economical way of addressing nutritional and physiological re uirements pursued by the modern consumer. /n this regard, soy protein proves to be the ultimate choice because of its superior nutritional and technological properties. 8oy protein is utilized in meat reformulation in a number of forms such as soy flour, soy protein concentrate and isolate. 8oy protein e2hibits improvement in water holding capacity, enhancement of emulsion formation, improvement of nutritional value, and an increased yield ,)hin et al., %'''.. Corcella ,3;. reported a reduction in drip loss in an 0rgentinean sausage without any unacceptable changes in sensory and stability attributes. 8oy protein has been reported to enhance shelf life of frankfurters by reducing bacterial populations without any side effects ,3>.. 8ubstitution of meat with proteins from non-meat sources including soy

protein isolate and whey isolates have shown to decrease cooking losses and while increasing cohesiveness and reducing agglomeration of fat globules in meat batters ,3%.. !hey is a waste product of dairy industry which can be utilized in meat products to enhance their functional properties. !hey proteins have e2hibited improvement in emulsion formation, improvement in color of products, decreased springiness and an increased brittleness which is favored in frankfurter-type sausages and other comminuted meat products ,3?.. 8imilarly wheat proteins like gluten can be added to sausages as an e2tender as they enhance various functional properties like water holding capacity and emulsion formation ,4'.. 1.1.#.#. Addition of dietar% fibers 8upplementation of meat products with soluble and insoluble fiber is an effective way to address health issues as it has been proven to control serum cholesterol and sugar and reduces fat intake by providing bulk to food products. Moreover addition of fiber in meat products has technological benefits like increasing in water holding capacity and its supportive action upon phenolic compounds in increasing o2idative stability of the product ,7.. 8tudies have associated reduction in risk of diabetes, colon cancer, cardiovascular diseases and obesity with consumption of dietary fiber ,4-.. /n dry fermented sausages higher levels ,3 L. cereal and fruit fibers were associated with an increase in hardness a decline in sensorial and te2tural acceptability ,=arcia, et al., %''%.. 0 decrease in levels of nitrite residues and increase in micrococcus numbers by the inclusion of orange fiber has also been reported in 8panish dry fermented sausages ,$opez, et al., %''>.. <ice bran has also been reported to be suitable for addition in pork salt-soluble protein systems, with -L level as being its optimum concentration it produces the least of technological problems like te2ture hardening ,3&.. 1.1.#.'. Fortification (ith minerals) vitamins and anti!o*idants )alcium, magnesium and potassium fortification in meat products has been reported to be simple and without any adverse effects on sensory characters of the product ,43.. Fortification of these minerals also brings down the sodium levels, thus adding to its nutritional status. Cotssium lactate addition is proposed to resolve the rancidity problem in meat products ,44.. 0ctivation of calpain ,a protease. has been associated with increased meat tenderness if calcium is fortified in the product ,4&.. An

the other hand, addition of these minerals has also been reported to retard the action of proteolytic enzymes which is essential for flavor development in cured meat products ,47.. 5itamin 0 and ) have been the most sought-after vitamins for fortication purposes due to their anti-o2idant nature and physiological benefits. )arotenoids ,precursors of 5itamin 0. are not found in meat with the e2ception of poultry meat and their fortification is limited due to its chemical instability and negative impact on meat color ,7.. 5itamin ) fortification is also restricted because of its unstable nature in p" of meat matri2. !hile 5itamin : is naturally abundant in meat and its enrichment in the form of with M-tocopheryl acetate has been successful ,4;.. This fortification has been found to impart benefits like decreasing o2idative rancidity and thus protecting the flavor of meat products ,7.. 0ddition of folic acid in irradiated sausages has been reported to survive the irradiation process and meet the daily recommended allowance ,4>.. 0ddition of antio2idant vitamins is restricted in meat products so supplementary antio2idant ingredients have to be added sometimes. (utylated hydro2yanisole ,("0. and (utylated hydro2ytoluene ,("T. have been in use for uite a long time in this regard but now this practice is facing re1ection from consumers due to the adverse health effects ,4.. Different herbs and spices offer a more natural and effective way to address this issue. 8pices and herbs are reported to have a number of phytochemicals including flavonoids, phenolic diterpenes, phenolic acids and tannins ,4?.. These compounds have been reported to offer benefits like being antio2idative, anticancer and anti-inflammatory. )loves, rose petals, cinnamon, sage, rosemary, garlic, and nutmeg have been studied for their potential use in meat and found to be effective ,4.. <ecently citrus and pomegranate by-products ,seeds and rind. have been utilized successfully as antio2idants in raw goat meat and cooked goat patties ,&'6 &-+.

2. ,robiotic sausages
2.1. ,robiotics in food
The marketing of food for health benefits began in -?7'*s this trend shifted towards eliminating or reducing the harmful constituents like sugars and fats from food in -?;'*s. This continued till -?>'*s when reduction and elimination of food additives

started, which led to the induction and addition of useful components like vitamins, minerals and probiotics in -??'*s ,&%.. =iven in Table - is the list of commercial probiotic strains currently in use world wide. <ecently <ai and coworkers ,%'-'. have studied various microbial isolates from ethnic meat products of the :astern "imalayas and reported them to be active antimicrobial agents without production of biogenic amines.

2.2. Fermented meat as a probiotic carter

The use of probiotics has found its way into the dairy sector through use of $0( ,in yoghurt especially., but the windows of opportunity are there of meat being used as a functional food which yet remain to be e2plored ,4.. Crobiotic food products which provide health benefits in addition to nutrition have captured a considerable percentage of functional food market. Meat serves as an e2cellent medium for probiotic growth and has also been reported to protect microbes against bile ,&7.. /n meat sector use of meat starter cultures has been done for improving the safety of meat rather than introducing functional or physiological ualities ,&;.. Mild or no heat treatment is usually re uired by dry fermented meat products, this provides the suitable conditions re uired for the survival of probiotics ,&>, 3.. /t is also proposed that the sausage milieu may even protect the probiotic lactobacilli during the passage through the =/T ,&?.. An the other hand, presence of inhibitors like high amounts of salt, acidic p" and lower water activity resulting from drying creates adverse conditions for survival of probiotics. The selection of probiotic strain largely determines its viability in the fermented meat matri2. Cossible sources for isolation are the naturally found microbes in meat products. 8ausage isolates can be screened to ac uire these bacteria or already marketed meat starter cultures with good survival characteristics like Cediococcus acidilactici C0-% and $actobacillus sakei $b3 can be utilized for this purpose ,7'.. $. casei and $. paracasei have been isolated from fermented sausages ,7-.. The most important properties to be considered for these potential probiotics are survival in simulated gastric 1uice, adhesive properties towards artificial )aco-% lines, production of organic acids and antagonism towards pathogenic oraganisms. /n this regard $. plantarum isolated from sausages e2hibited superior adhesive properties towards )aco-% cell lines as compared to $. paracasei and $. brevis ,7%.. /t*s a common practice to isolate probiotic microbes from

human intestinal systems so these isolates can be investigated by their inclusion in fermented meat matri2. These isolates are essentially re uire to survive fermentation and subse uent drying generally e2perienced during meat processing to be considered potential for application. )onsidering this, a number of lactobacilli from human isolates have been studied and several lactobacilli of human intestinal origin have been revealed to have survived the sausage production procedures ,7'.. $ist of most common meat starter cultures used today is given in Table %. <egrettably, survival, food safety and effect of these cultures have been the centers of attention rather than their health promoting effects.

2.#. Fermented sausages as probiotic food

8ausage is a nutritious food which is consumed world wide for its uni ue flavor and nutritious characters. 8ausages have been developed which claim to contain probiotic strains. There are still a great many hurdles for these claims to be considered effective and useful for human health perspective ,73.. First argument in this regard is that probiotic strains should be present in enough numbers so as to have an effect on the health of consumers gut flora. 8econdly they should have the abilities to survive in the human gut and continue their activities. Finally there is the need of e2tensive studies, conducted on the human volunteers, to support the evidence of their benefits on human health. The possible target for production of a probiotic meat product would be the dry sausages whose processing is done without any heat treatment and thus the probiotic strain has ample chances for surviving the processing conditions ,7'.. The probiotic strains used in sausages constitute intestinal isolates, lactobacilli and (ifidobacteria. For a probiotic strain to be used as a starter culture re uires specific sensory and functional properties in that culture ,73.. Furthermore the sausage has to be designed in such a way as to keep the number and viability of probiotic strain in the optimum range, in this regard large reduction in p" ,e.g. N&.'., e2tended ripening ,e.g. O- month., dry or e2cessive heating have to be avoided if the beneficial effects of probiotic are to be harvested ,7'.. Lactobacillus gasseri G)M--3- has been demonstrated to be useful as a potential probiotic strain for application in meat fermentation and adding to its safety ,74.. The e2pediency of L. rhamnosus F:<M C--&-%' and L. paracasei subsp. paracasei F:<M C-

-&-%- has also been reported, as potential probiotics in meat products ,7&.. 0 concoction of a traditional starter culture ,(actoferm T-8CP. and a potential probiotic culture of L. casei $)-'- or (ifidobacterium lactis (b--% has been successfully employed in sausage production ,73.. $0( species are the most successful candidate in probiotic division and L. plantarum and L. casei are currently being used as meat starter cultures so they have a significant scope for being utilized in probiotic sausage manufacture ,7'.. Furthermore, the use of a functional starter culture would prove superior in providing more safety, taste and health benefits, as compared to the traditional cultures ,&>.. 8tudies have also reported poor survival of probiotics in fermented meat matri2 ,-'.. "owever this problem can be resolved by the use of micro-encapsulation techni ue. (. longum and $. reuteri encapsulated in 0lginate are a suitable option for this purpose ,--+. <ecently, Coulin and co(or.ers /-0+ (ere able to successfull% create succinylated Q-lactoglobulin tablets which protected (. longum strain in-vivo and invitro. Moreover, Lactobacillus F-? has been reported to survive freeze storage in larger numbers as compared to (ifidobacterium (b-%, when encapsulated with casein ,7>+. Furthermore, microencapsulation of these two strains has also been e2perimented with rennet-induced gelation of milk which resulted in higher yields and improved survival rates ,7?+.

2.'. "eneficial effects of probiotics sausages

2.'.1. Immuno!modulator% effect
Crobiotic administration in laboratory animals has shown to decrease the blood cholesterol level and increase in feed-conversion rate which ultimately leads to gain in weight as compared to the controlled groups ,;'.. )D-> and )D-4 lymphocytes have been found to increase in lab rats administered with $. plantarum ,;-.. 8uch an increase in )D-4 T lymphocytes has also been observed for $. paracasei +))%47- ,;%.. $. paracasei has been found to e2hibit anti-inflammatory properties which would be beneficial for patients suffering from )rohn*s disease ,Mc+aught R MacFie, %''-6 Gaheris et al., %''%. "uman verification studies for probiotic administration are uiet rare. 0ccording to a study in which human volunteers were administered with probiotic sausages containing L. paracasei, stool samples were taken after % weeks. /n these samples

amplification of L. paracasei count was statistically signiScant. An the other hand no considerable effect for serum values of dierent fractions of cholesterol and triacylglycerides was observed. This study also took into account the effect of probiotic sausages on the host immune system. 0n amplification in the number of )D4 ,T-helper.lymphocytes was observed in the first % weeks of study but this number decreased near to the original number at the end of the study. Moreover the effect of )D&4 was seen to decrease and an increase in the phagocytic activity was also observed at the end of the probiotic sausage consumption. This provides solid evidence that the use of L. paracasei through sausages significantly modulates various facades of immunity of the host ,;4..

2.'.2. Effect on virulence of isteria

Listeria monocytogenes is pathogenic in nature and it poses an utmost concern in the meat industry. /n a study both in-vivo and in-vitro studies were carried out on the effects of meat starter cultures like Flora)arn ,traditional. and non-traditional meat starter cultures ,+TM8. of dairy and human origin on the pathogenicity of $isteria. The results demonstrated that ingestion a mi2ture of +TM8 culture ,$actobacillus acidophilus $0FT/< $-'. and Flora)arn brought about a %.& log unit reduction in the fecal levels of the pathogen. 0lso a reduction of the order of '.&--.& log units was observed by ingestion of either one of the cultures. These results consolidate the facts that the pathogenic nature of $isteria is dependant on the type of the food and that L. acidophilus ,Flora)arn. and some +TM8 cultures ,particularly $-'. hinder growth of $isteria as it passes through =/T ,;4..

Conclusion
Feed modification is an old but still applicable techni ue to change the fatty acid profile and thus produce a functional meat product. <eformulation with omega-3 fatty acids and reducing the fat contents by addition of fat replacers and fibre has been proved to be economical yet effective strategy. Fortification of meat with bioactive compounds like con1ugated linoleic acid, carnosine and anserine which are naturally present in meat is an efficient way to address the need for functional meat products. /n addition functional ingredients like various spices and herbs used in meat products have been observed to impart various physiological benefits upon consumption. Crobiotics can prove to be the trendsetters for development of innovative meat products but there is the

need for more human-based studies to establish documented proofs of their advantages and to increase the consumer confidence as a conse uence.

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