Enhancing Meat Quality Through Dietary Fiber: Insights Into the Gut Microbiota‐Derived Short‐Chain Fatty Acids‐Muscle Axis

ABSTRACT Dietary fiber (DF), long recognized for its contributions to digestive health and satiety regulation, is now acknowledged as a crucial modulator of meat quality in food‐producing animals through its significant impact on the gut‐muscle axis. In this brief review, we synthesize recent research findings, focusing on the mechanisms by which DF influences key meat quality attributes, including tenderness, juiciness, color, flavor, and nutritional profile. Specifically, these mechanisms comprise the regulation of gut microbiota composition, modulation of metabolites produced via fermentation pathways (e.g., short‐chain fatty acids, SCFAs), enhancement of intestinal barrier function, mitigation of systemic inflammation, and optimization of nutrient partitioning. We further explain how different types of DF, characterized by solubility, source, and structure, elicit distinct microbial responses and metabolic effects that influence muscle fiber composition, metabolic activity, antioxidant capacity, and post‐mortem biochemical processes. The review emphasizes a shift in perspective, transitioning from viewing DF as a simple bulking agent to recognizing it as a prebiotic that regulates host‐microbe crosstalk and exerts direct effects on muscle physiology. Comprehending these intricate interactions provides sustainable methodologies for improving meat quality through customized DF interventions, moving beyond conventional nutritional strategies. Additionally, this review addresses critical challenges, such as the optimization of DF inclusion levels, species‐specific effects of supplementation, and future research directions in the field.