Abstract
Meat scientists and industries are constantly searching for natural and environmentally friendly ways to improve the tenderness of their meat products. There is also a search for appropriate strategies for treating or valorizing protein wastes generated from meat-processing operations. A promising way to achieve both goals is by applying proteases obtained from plant sources. Plant proteases are preferred over proteases of microbial origin for many reasons such as: (1) plant proteases are functional over a broad range of temperature and pH; (2) there are less concerns surrounding possible toxicity or biohazard risk as their source of origin are often from readily consumable food materials; and (3) they may provide additional incomes for farmers. Therefore, with such specifications, plant-based proteases with properties suitable for applications in meat industries remain an interesting field of research. This chapter will provide an overview of discovered plant proteases and their applications in meat processing and meat waste utilization.