Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (535 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Articles of food which are derived by a process of manufacture from any portion of carcasses of any animal used for food (e.g., head cheese, sausage, scrapple).
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Meat Product; Product, Meat; Products, Meat.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Meat
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 9,046 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Meat Products” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 2,368 of them (26.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 3,371 records.
Reviews account for 761 records (8.4%) and meta-analyses for 83. Randomized controlled trials number 53 (0.6%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 1,256 |
| 2000-2009 | 2,051 |
| 2010-2019 | 3,371 |
| 2020 onward | 2,368 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 761 | 8.4% |
| Meta-analyses | 83 | 0.9% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 53 | 0.6% |
Method: PubMed query "Meat Products"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 237 | cc by PMID 33293564 · DOI · PMC7722853 |
| Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat Products Available in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey | 2021 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 85 | cc by PMID 34959777 · DOI · PMC8709452 |
| LiSEQ - whole-genome sequencing of a cross-sectional survey of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods and human clinical cases in Europe | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 84 | cc by PMID 30775964 · DOI · PMC6421348 |
| Synthesis and Characterization of Naringin Phenolate Salts for Cultivated Meat | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42915796 · DOI · PMC13651613 |
Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Advances in farming technology and intensification of animal agriculture increase the cost-efficiency and production volume of meat.
- Closing excerpt
- Here we detail the benefits and challenges of plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives with regard to production efficiency, product characteristics and impact categories.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (97 words)
Advances in farming technology and intensification of animal agriculture increase the cost-efficiency and production volume of meat. Thus, in developed nations, meat is relatively inexpensive and accessible. While beneficial for consumer satisfaction, intensive meat production inflicts negative externalities on public health, the environment and animal welfare. In response, groups within academia and industry are working to improve the sensory characteristics of plant-based meat and pursuing nascent approaches through cellular agriculture methodology (i.e., cell-based meat). Here we detail the benefits and challenges of plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives with regard to production efficiency, product characteristics and impact categories.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33293564 · DOI · PMC7722853
Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat Products Available in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Plant-based meat (PBM) has been gaining popularity due to increasing concerns over health, animal welfare, and environmental issues linked to animal foods.
- Closing excerpt
- However, more progress is needed to reduce salt in these products.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (173 words)
Plant-based meat (PBM) has been gaining popularity due to increasing concerns over health, animal welfare, and environmental issues linked to animal foods. This study aimed to compare the nutrient profile of PBM with equivalent meat products. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 207 PBM and 226 meat products available from 14 retailers in the UK. We extracted data on energy density, total and saturated fat, protein, fiber, and salt per 100 g from product packaging and calculated the nutrient profile of each product. Compared to meat, PBM had significantly lower energy density, total fat, saturated fat, protein, and significantly higher fiber. Salt content was significantly higher in five out of six PBM categories. Based on the UK's Nutrient Profiling Model, 14% of PBM and 40% of meat products were classified as "less healthy" (p p < 0.001). Nearly three quarters of PBM products did not meet the current UK salt targets. PBM products have a better nutrient profile compared to meat equivalents. However, more progress is needed to reduce salt in these products.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34959777 · DOI · PMC8709452
LiSEQ - whole-genome sequencing of a cross-sectional survey of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods and human clinical cases in Europe [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- We present the LiSEQ (Listeria SEQuencing) project, funded by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to compare Listeria monocytogenes isolates collected in the European Union from ready-to-eat foods, compartments along the food chain (e.
- Closing excerpt
- monocytogenes strain diversity.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (118 words)
We present the LiSEQ (Listeria SEQuencing) project, funded by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to compare Listeria monocytogenes isolates collected in the European Union from ready-to-eat foods, compartments along the food chain (e.g. food-producing animals, food-processing environments) and humans. In this article, we report the molecular characterization of a selection of this data set employing whole-genome sequencing analysis. We present an overview of the strain diversity observed in different sampled sources, and characterize the isolates based on their virulence and resistance profile. We integrate into our analysis the global L. monocytogenes genome collection described by Moura and colleagues in 2016 to assess the representativeness of the LiSEQ collection in the context of known L. monocytogenes strain diversity.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30775964 · DOI · PMC6421348
Synthesis and Characterization of Naringin Phenolate Salts for Cultivated Meat [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The high cost of growth factors has limited the commercial-scale production of cultivated meat products.
- Closing excerpt
- Overall, this study presents the first comprehensive report on naringin phenolate salts and their potential use in cultivated meat production.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (147 words)
The high cost of growth factors has limited the commercial-scale production of cultivated meat products. In this study, we report on the synthesis and characterization of a series of naringin phenolate salts. Phenolate salts with sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and tetrabutylammonium (TBA+) counterions were prepared to introduce water solubility to the natural flavonoid naringin. The synthesized salts were comprehensively characterized to confirm their chemical structures. Solvated cations were examined for their effect on the salts' physicochemical and biological properties. Solubility studies show that alkali metal salts are highly soluble in water, while the Ca2+ and TBA+ salts are less soluble. Acid regeneration studies confirm the reversibility of the salt formation. Preliminary studies indicate that selected naringin salts may support cell proliferation in cultivated meat systems. Overall, this study presents the first comprehensive report on naringin phenolate salts and their potential use in cultivated meat production.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42915796 · DOI · PMC13651613
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Bacterial spoilage of meat and cured meat products [6]
- Research article Plant extracts as natural antioxidants in meat and meat products [7]
- Research article Processed meat and colorectal cancer: a review of epidemiologic and experimental evidence [8]
- Research article Red and processed meat consumption and mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies [9]
- Research article Heme iron from meat and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis and a review of the mechanisms involved [10]
References
- Rubio NR, Xiang N, Kaplan DL. Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production. . 2020. PMID 33293564 · DOI · PMC7722853
- Alessandrini R, Brown MK, Pombo-Rodrigues S, Bhageerutty S, He FJ, MacGregor GA. Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Meat Products Available in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey. . 2021. PMID 34959777 · DOI · PMC8709452
- Painset A, Björkman JT, Kiil K, Guillier L, Mariet JF, Félix B, et al.. LiSEQ - whole-genome sequencing of a cross-sectional survey of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods and human clinical cases in Europe. . 2019. PMID 30775964 · DOI · PMC6421348
- Dirawy M, Abdel-Haq M, Hasenson SE, Mahajna S, Mahameed M, Kumar MNVR, et al.. Synthesis and Characterization of Naringin Phenolate Salts for Cultivated Meat. . 2026. PMID 42915796 · DOI · PMC13651613
- Micha R, Wallace SK, Mozaffarian D. Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation. 2010. PMID 20479151 · DOI · PMC2885952
- Borch E, Kant-Muermans ML, Blixt Y. Bacterial spoilage of meat and cured meat products. Int J Food Microbiol. 1996. PMID 8913812 · DOI
- Shah MA, Bosco SJ, Mir SA. Plant extracts as natural antioxidants in meat and meat products. Meat Sci. 2014. PMID 24824531 · DOI
- Santarelli RL, Pierre F, Corpet DE. Processed meat and colorectal cancer: a review of epidemiologic and experimental evidence. Nutr Cancer. 2008. PMID 18444144 · DOI · PMC2661797
- Wang X, Lin X, Ouyang YY, Liu J, Zhao G, Pan A, et al.. Red and processed meat consumption and mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Public Health Nutr. 2016. PMID 26143683 · DOI · PMC10270853
- Bastide NM, Pierre FH, Corpet DE. Heme iron from meat and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis and a review of the mechanisms involved. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011. PMID 21209396 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.