Abstract
Meat co-products are a rich source of nutrients and have been part of the human diet for millennia. Over the last few decades, the consumption of meat co-products has declined among young people and in Western countries. Increased use of meat co-products would be a useful strategy towards sustainable food production as it diverts a high quality protein source into the food market instead of the rendering stream. Meat industries cannot meet the growing demand for protein without increasing its production efficiencies by utilising meat co-products. The global market for meat co-products and importance of co-products to contribute protein to the world's malnourished nations is discussed in this chapter. A comprehensive account of the nutrient content of various co-products is reported and compared with premium meat. Although direct consumption of co-products is the best option to maximize benefits to consumers and industry, the consumption of meat co-products is highly influenced by social and cultural perceptions. Individual food preferences vary with the nurturing culture, beliefs, and values; consumer preferences towards co-products and psychological influences are explored. Processing of co-products and changing of their sensory attributes is a successful strategy to overcome some of the perception issues that decrease consumers' acceptability of these products. The potential of different processing options for co-products for their use as alternative proteins with greater functionality is discussed to provide options for maximum utilization of these materials.