The role of enzymes in the formation of meat and meat products

The meat industry is one of the most dynamic and competitive sectors of the food industry. As the global population keeps on growing and the demand for protein does the same, the consumers define ever higher standards of quality for the meat producers. One of the key quality criteria is the tenderness and juiciness of meat, which directly affects its taste and texture characteristics. In order to satisfy the expectations of the modern consumers and to ensure the stable quality of the meat product, meat processing enterprises actively introduce the innovative technologies. In recent decades, proteolytic enzymes have been increasingly used to improve the quality characteristics of the meat products, which is a more progressive method in comparison with to mechanical methods of processing due to less impact on other consumer properties. This article overviews the role and importance of enzymes in the meat industry. We will consider various aspects of the application of these enzymes for the meat products, their effect on the level of tenderness, juiciness and other characteristics of meat, as well as prospects for the further development of their using