Fruit powder spray formulations reduce advanced glycation end-product formation in charcoal-grilled pork: effects of application method and polyphenol-sugar balance.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formed during charcoal grilling of meat pose food safety concerns, yet few studies have compared how different methods of applying protective ingredients affect AGE formation. This study compared three application methods (marinating, spraying, and mixing) for delivering freeze-dried fruit powders and evaluated their effects on Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and Nε-carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL) in charcoal-grilled pork loin and belly. Among eight fruit powders screened, strawberry (SB) and kumquat (KQ) were selected on the basis of their antioxidant-to-sugar balance. Two-way ANOVA showed that application method accounted for 62% of the variance in AGE inhibition in pork loin, compared with 13% for fruit type, and spraying maintained high inhibition across both lean and high-fat cuts. Soy sauce-free spray formulations reduced total AGEs by 83% (SB) and 86% (KQ) while maintaining low lipid oxidation, consumer acceptance above the neutral threshold, and stable performance during 90 days of accelerated storage at 45 °C. Molecular docking and methylglyoxal-trapping assays indicated that the fruit polyphenols may inhibit AGE formation through three complementary pathways: competitive binding at glycation-susceptible protein sites, direct scavenging of reactive carbonyl intermediates, and suppression of lipid oxidation. These findings show that how fruit powder is applied to meat can be as important as which fruit powder is used.