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Abstract

Meat and meat products are one of the most important foods in the diet but, during the last years, they have been related with diseases like cardiovascular, obesity, diabetes or certain types of cancer. This fact contributes to a decrease in consumption. Therefore, scientists and meat industry have made efforts to innovate and bring to market new meat products, according to nutritional guides. A good option could be the development of functional meat products. In this way, one of the strategies used is the incorporation of bioactive compounds (fiber, proteins, antioxidants, minerals, etc.). Sometimes it is necessary to modify the manufacturing processes in order to obtain final products with the required nutritive value and sensory properties. There are other interesting ingredients, which have not been studied yet despite their importance in human health. One of them is folic acid, an essential vitamin associated with the prevention of certain diseases and which intake has been recommended by different regulatory authorities, such as the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) and the WHO (Word Health Organization).