Fortifying Bakso (Restructured meat product) with potential encapsulated functional strategies – a mini review

This review revisits the Indonesian Bakso, a restructured meat product that is well preferred by wide ranges of social economy classes of the Indonesian community. Bakso has been a very good low-cost protein source for all. By understanding the complexity of the colloidal structure of Bakso that is constructed by the protein matrix and swelling starch granule interactions, it is also made clear in this review that Bakso has the potential for being more than just a low-cost protein source meal enjoyed by all. The colloidal complexities of the food system in Bakso allows it to entrap fortifications of bioactive compounds, bringing Bakso to the realm of functional foods. Various simple attempts have been made to improve the eating quality of Bakso by simple substitution of the starch with other plant-sourced starches that have functional properties. Effectiveness of these attempts had not scratched the surface of elevating Bakso into the functional food world, therefore it is an opened option to explore the potential of bringing encapsulation of functional components in this mini review processes into the mix. The variables in terms of bioactive functions, sources, polarities, solubilities and reactivities of the various compounds and encapsulating materials is still a large opportunity for further exploration. With encapsulation in play, this opens the doors of refitting Bakso with more varieties of bioactive compounds, and the elements of modifications that can be made to elevating Bakso in the functional food world.