o:8592 Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety en This paper discusses the application of mild processing technologies in the meat industry, with emphasis on their role in preserving nutritional quality and ensuring product safety. Given the highly perishable nature of meat, conventional processing techniques, such as chilling, freezing, curing, smoking, drying and heat treatment, have been employed to extend its shelf life. However, these approaches, especially thermal processing, often compromise sensitive nutrients. In response, optimization of conventional methods, hurdle system ap- plication, as well as modern non-thermal and low-intensity technologies, including high- pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasound, and cold plasma, have been developed as effective alternatives. These methods achieve microbial inactivation while minimizing nutritional and sensory degradation. Furthermore, the combination of mild technologies with optimized conventional methods (e.g., sous-vide cooking, vacuum drying, modified atmosphere packaging, biopreservation etc.) has demonstrated synergistic effects in enhancing product quality and satisfying shelf life. This integrated approach supports the production of clean-label, minimally processed meat products that align with contempo- rary consumer expectations. The findings underscore the potential of mild technologies to contribute significantly to the future of meat processing through improved product safety, functionality, and nutritional retention. Mild technologies, Meat processing, Non-thermal methods, Food safety, Nutritional quality 1552099 10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.31 2025-12-03T12:49:00.452Z 44 yes 46 Dragan Vasilev University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4066-5731 Mirjana Dimitrijević University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1670-6481 Ivana Klun University of Belgrade, Institute for Medical Research, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7976-3104 Aleksandra Uzelac University of Belgrade, Institute for Medical Research, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1424-0123 Nikola Betić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Kaćanskog 13, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7375-6752 Branko Suvajdžić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7161-104X Neđeljko Karabasil University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bulevar oslobodjenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Mild technologies in meat processing: balancing nutritional quality and safety person https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6097-3216 application/pdf 430067 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:8592 no yes 19 70 92000002 71A01 Meat technology - Special Issue 66/3 2025 1-576 66 3 199 204 Kaćanskog 13, 11 000 Belgrade Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology 2025-12-01 www.journalmeattechnology.com