[EN] This manuscript is reviewing the presence of substances of safety concern that may be generated in different types of meat products. Such substances include N-nitrosamines that can be generated under certain conditions when using nitrite as preservative, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons generated as a consequence of particular smoking processes, heterocyclic aromatic amines generated under particular cooking conditions, compounds released from the oxidation of lipids and proteins, Maillard reaction products like acrylamide and carboxymethyl lysine, and amines that can be generated and accumulated in fermented meats. These hazardous compounds, their mechanisms of generation, risks for health and ways of preventing its presence in meat products are briefly described in this review.

Grants AGL2017-89831-R, AGL2015-64673-R and FEDER funds from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness are acknowledged. Ramon y Cajal postdoctoral contract to LM is also acknowledged.