Emerging insights into lipid oxidation in dry-cured meats: Adverse effects on product quality and safety

• Lipid oxidation in dry-cured meat products is outlined. • Curing and drying severely affect lipid oxidation. • Potential mechanisms of processing characteristics promoting lipid oxidation are analyzed. • Lipid oxidation affects product quality in multiple dimensions. Lipid oxidation plays a dual role in dry-cured meats, serving as a critical pathway for flavor development while also posing significant risks to product quality and safety. Processing steps including curing, drying and smoking accelerate oxidation by disrupting cell membranes, suppressing antioxidant enzyme activity and promoting free radical reactions. This leads to the accumulation of reactive aldehydes such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA), which contribute to deterioration in texture, flavor, color and nutritional value. Furthermore, these oxidation products promote the formation of hazardous compounds, including biogenic amines (BAs), N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In addition, the storage temperature, humidity and packaging methods directly regulate the oxidation rate. This review provides a reference for in-depth research on the theory, control and rational utilization of lipid oxidation in the processing and storage of dry-cured meat products.