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Microbial-derived flavor compounds are redefining flavor innovation in meat, fish, and poultry products. Produced via fermentation and biotransformation by bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, these bioflavors generate a complex array of volatiles – organic acids, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes – that shape distinctive sensory profiles. Beyond enhancing taste and aroma, they offer functional health benefits, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Traditional and modern methods, including marination, brining, fermentation, surface inoculation, smoking, curing, injection, and vacuum tumbling, leverage microbial activity to enhance flavor, tenderization, and preservation across various food matrices. These processes, whether through natural microflora or starter cultures, contribute to the breakdown of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, yielding a complex blend of amino acids, peptides, aldehydes, ketones, and organic acids contributing to distinct flavors. Despite challenges in yield, extraction, and regulatory pathways, advancements in metabolic engineering, CRISPR-based strain design, and sustainable bioprocessing present immense commercial potential. This review structures current knowledge on microbial flavor biosynthesis, application strategies in animal-based foods, emerging technological trends, and pathways to market acceptance, positioning microbial bioflavors as the future of natural, functional food enhancement.
Yadav et al. (Mon,) studied this question.