Artificial intelligence driven meat preservation technology: research progress, challenges, and future directions

Abstract With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, its applications in food science have become increasingly widespread—particularly in the preservation of meat products—where it demonstrates substantial potential. This study systematically reviews the key applications of AI in meat product preservation, encompassing quality assessment, cold chain monitoring, shelf-life prediction, the development of microbial prediction models, intelligent packaging optimization, and consumer behavior analysis. AI-enabled preservation strategies are effective in maintaining meat product quality. Notably, machine learning algorithms offer distinct advantages in the real-time monitoring of critical quality indicators and the prediction of shelf life under diverse preservation conditions, thereby providing robust support for producers’ decision-making processes. Furthermore, this study explores in depth the application prospects and development trends of AI in meat product preservation, with the aim of offering novel insights to facilitate the development of more efficient and intelligent meat preservation processes. By integrating AI technology, the meat preservation sector is expected to undergo an intelligent transformation—shifting from a traditional experience-driven paradigm to a data-driven one—thereby elevating the overall development level of the industry.