Biogenic amines are anti-nutritional nitrogenous bases formed by the action of microbial decarboxylases on free amino acids. They are found widely in varying concentrations in meat and meat products. Public health significance lies in their toxic effects associated with high levels in meat and meat products. Owing to their consistent presence with microbial spoilage they are utilized as quality indicator in terms of spoilage/ freshness of meat and meat products. The reason for the formation of these amines is multi-factorial however the poor quality meat is the most important one, contributing substrate for microbial decarboxylases. Their presence can be analytically determined in the food stuffs by employing various techniques. The key to control biogenic amines is the good manufacturing practices. Many new technologies have also been emerged to reduce the levels of these amines to permissible limits.

Co-sonication of curcumin and acidic sophorolipid in aqueous solution is shown to lead to a dramatic enhancement of curcumin bioavailability through size reduction and encapsulation. The interaction between the two is studied and discussed based on optical absorption, photoluminescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, FE-SEM, TEM, Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. The cytotoxicity effects of curcumin on breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, are shown to be significantly enhanced by the formation of its complex with sophorolipid. The relative cytotoxicity of curcumin with its SL(A) complex is more due to the presence of the glucose moiety. The results further suggest that sophorolipid based formulations, which solubilize and nanoencapsulate curcumin after lipid digestion, show great potential for curcumin cell entry.

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Nanotechnology refers to the new aspect of science modifies its physical, chemical and biological properties leading to new applications or enhanced utility. Keeping the pace with other industries, the meat industry has adopted the new technology in a range of applications to improve the quality and safety of products. The potential applications include the improvement in the tastes, texture, flavor, production of low fat and salt products, enhanced nutrient absorption, improved packaging techniques and better pathogen detection system. However some safety issues need to be addressed before taking a ride on the technology at the full throttle.