Abstract: Phosphates are among the most widely used water-retaining agents in meat processing. While appropriate addition of phosphates can effectively improve the yield of meat products, their excessive use may interfere with flavor generation, adsorption, and release while leading to undesirable metallic and astringent tastes. How to balance the texture and water retention properties while minimizing the adverse effects of phosphates on the flavor has thus become a key challenge for enhancing meat product quality. This review systematically summarizes the types and functional roles of food-approved phosphates, outlines their mechanisms of action in improving the water-holding capacity, explores their potential impacts on the flavor generation, and discusses prospects for phosphate reduction and substitution strategies, providing theoretical references for achieving synergistic improvement of the water retention and flavor quality of meat products.

Key words: meat products; phosphates; water retention; flavor