Marination to improve functional properties and safety of poultry meat

The most commonly used poultry marinades include salt and sodium tripolyphosphate, which have been shown to increase meat yield and water-holding capacity, as well as improve color and texture. Recently, several poultry further-processing facilities have begun using more acidic (pH similar to 4) type marinades such as sodium lactate, sodium citrate, and sodium diacetate (alone or in combination) to combat the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in further-processed meat loaves. Because the acidic marinades currently used in turkey further-processing have a low pH (similar to 4) compared with the previously used salt and sodium tripolyphosphate (similar to pH 9), these marinades may cause meat quality problems. This review paper will discuss aspects of poultry food safety and meat quality and how acidic marinades can be used to improve safety, specifically by controlling L. monocytogenes growth, and how they affect quality of the meat products. Current industry practices will be discussed and reviewed.