Table 1. Overview of the role of salt (NaCl) in meat products mentioned in the present review

Role of salt in meat products	Reference
Increase shelf-life	[25,27,32]
Increase microbial safety
٠ Lowering the water activity (aw) of the product ٠ Exhibiting osmotic shock to the microorganism ٠ Inducing electrolyte imbalance inside the microbial cell
Increase sensory properties	[53,55,56]
٠ Representing saltiness ٠ Suppressing bitterness and sweetness ٠ Using products as flavor enhancers ٠ Increasing juiciness and sensorial texture
Increase physicochemical properties	[29,46–48]
٠ Extracting myofibrillar protein (myosin, actin, etc.)
→ Increasing emulsion capacity and stability  → Providing proper texture properties
٠ Binding Cl– to the myofibrillar protein and forming an ‘Na+ cloud’ around the myofilaments
→ Increasing water holding capacity  → Decreasing cooking loss