Biosensors in Evaluation of Quality of Meat and Meat Products – A Review

Biosensors can find application in meat and meat products testing for safety, including microbial and other contaminants, and quality, including meat freshness, beef tenderness and pork quality defects. The available biosensors enable the evaluation of freshness, the classification of tenderness of meat products, the evaluation of the glycolysis extent and the presence of the microbial and other contaminants. Since biosensors depend on receptor types, the expansion of knowledge on metabolic transformations occurring in meat contributes to the development of new potential markers and indicators. Examples include assays for glucose, lactates, hypoxanthines, calpastastins, microbial and other contaminants in meat products, augmenting conventional methods. At the same time, biosensors rely on transducers for detection, requiring achievement in many fields including nanotechnology and optics, among others. Biosensors have potential to become a fundamental tool for monitoring and controlling safety and quality of meat products in the future. Hence the aim of the present paper is to present the current state of knowledge on the application of biosensors in meat.