Abstract:With the improvement of people's living standards and the acceleration of the pace of life, convenient, nutritious and delicious precooked farm-animal meat, poultry, and fish (referred to as “precooked meat”) are gradually becoming regular dishes for common people. However, meat products are usually rich in protein and fat and contain reducing sugars. Chemical reactions such as Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation are inevitable during the processing of precooked meat and their subsequent storage and reheating, which easily lead to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Excessive intake of dietary AGEs could increase the risks for various chronic diseases. Based on the main formation pathways of two typical AGEs (Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine and Nε-carboxyethyl-lysine) in meat products during processing and storage, factors affecting AGEs formation in precooked meat from the raw materials to the table were summarized. Special focuses were the effects of raw meat quality, commonly used seasonings and additives, thermal processing, storage and reheating of precooked meat on AGEs formation. Furthermore, major approaches to reduce AGEs levels in precooked meat during processing and storage were discussed, including the use of high-quality raw meat, proper selection of seasonings and additives, minimization of storage duration, as well as minimization of heating and reheating temperature and time under the conditions of ensuring product quality and safety. Through these expositions, it was hoped to provide a reference for effective control of AGEs formation in precooked meat, thus providing consumers with safer and healthier precooked meat products.