Improvement of meat protein digestibility in infants and the elderly

• Meat digestibility should be improved for subjects with hindered digestion. • Meat proteins such as actin, myoglobin, and collagen can have delayed digestion. • Improvement of protein digestion can enhance the nutritional quality of meat. • Thermal denaturation of meat under mild temperature can enhance protein digestion. • Non-thermal technologies can increase digestive susceptibility by protein unfolding. Meat is a valuable protein source with a balanced composition of essential amino acids and various nutrients. This review aims to identify methods to improve digestion of meat proteins, as well as evaluate the digestive characteristics of infants and the elderly. Immature digestive conditions in infants, including a high gastric pH and low protease concentration, can hinder protein digestion, thus resulting in inhibited growth and development. Likewise, gastrointestinal (GI) tract aging and chronic health problems, including tooth loss and atrophic gastritis, can lead to reduction in protein digestion and absorption in the elderly compared with those in young adults. Moderate heating and several non-thermal technologies, such as aging, enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrasound, high-pressure processing, and pulsed electric field can alter protein structure and improve protein digestion in individuals with low digestive capacity.