Microencapsulation to improve the stability of natural pigments and their applications for meat products

In recent years, natural pigments have been widely used in meat products (pork/beef patties, sausages, etc.) to maintain color, and as an antioxidant and antibacterial to extend the shelf life of meat products. To date, the food pigment industry has developed rapidly. Natural pigments are more popular among consumers because of their color and physiological functions such as bacteriostatic and antioxidant activity. However, compared with synthetic pigments, some natural pigments have poor stability and water solubility, which limit their application in the food industry. Therefore, taking certain methods to improve their stability and water solubility can expand the scope of use of the pigments and achieve favourable economic benefits. In this paper, we briefly analyze the main factors affecting the stability of natural pigments and summarize the methods commonly used to improve them. The methods mainly include the use of antioxidants and encapsulation of the pigments through spray/freeze drying, complex coacervation, ionic gelation, supercritical anti-solvent, etc. Finally, this paper also outlines the use of stabilized and non-stabilized pigments in meat products so as to serve as a baseline for use in meat and meat products.