Poultry meat is a good source of animal protein, and is affordable for many low-income families in developing countries. It is also part of a balanced diet through contributing valuable nutrients for human health. The poultry industry implements an enhancement process to improve quality and add value to poultry meat. This process may be defined as the addition of a formulated solution or brine, which contains salt, phosphate, and flavour additives for meat. It reduces cooking loss, and improves the tenderness and juiciness of meat. Although enhancement is widely used in the poultry industry, literature on this topic is inadequate. This review aims to outline recent trends in poultry meat enhancement, the main ingredients, and the effects of these ingredients on enhanced poultry meat. The nutritional profile affected by enhancement, the challenges of the enhancement process, and the legislative background to enhancement in selected countries are also discussed. This review provides scientific information on poultry meat enhancement for authorities, food processors, and consumers to ensure accurate application of the process and to prevent adulterated meat products in the market.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of Pseudomonas fluorescens (10² and 10(6)log10 cfu/ml)and Lactobacillus plantarum (10² and 10(4)log10 cfu/ml)on the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on beef loins. Beef loins inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and P. fluorescens were aerobically stored for 7 days at 4 ºC, while those inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and L. plantarum were vacuum packaged and stored for 8 weeks at 4 ºC. Aerobic Plate Counts (APC), E. coli O157:H7 and either P. fluorescens or L. plantarum counts were determined at different storage intervals. For the aerobically packaged beef loins, E. coli O157:H7 was detected throughout the 7 day storage period regardless of the P. fluorescens level in the inoculum. For the vacuum packaged beef loins, similar inoculum levels of E. coli O157:H7 and L. plantarum allowed E. coli O157:H7 to survive until week 5 of storage, while a higher inoculum level of L. plantarum inhibited E. coli O157:H7 from week 3. Once fresh beef has been contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the level of P. fluorescens in the background flora does not inhibit its survival and growth. However, under vacuum storage, the application of L. plantarum as a biopreservative inhibits the survival of E. coli O157:H7 on beef. The higher the level of L. plantarum in the system, the earlier the onset of the inhibition. Farmers and abattoirs have to strengthen preventive strategies to eliminate contamination of beef carcasses with E. coli O157:H7.