Abstract: Salt reduction in meat products is a general trend of the current development of meat products, but it may cause quality deterioration of meat products. Ultra high-pressure technology, a new non-thermal processing technology, can reduce the amount of salt used in meat products while improving the functional properties of muscle proteins, and consequently enhancing the quality of low-salt meat products. This article discusses recent progress in the application of high-pressure treatment in the quality improvement of reduced-salt meat products with respect to water retention, cooking loss, salty taste, color and microbiological safety, and summarizes the mechanisms by which high pressure treatment reduces the use of salt in low-salt meat products. This paper also discusses the limitations and future prospects for the application of ultra-high pressure technology to low-salt meat products. Overall, this review provides a theoretical basis for promoting the applications of ultra-high pressure technology to low-salt meat products.

Key words: low-salt meat products, ultra high-pressure technology, salt content, muscle protein, quality improvement