Marination and Brining of Poultry Products

In the U.S., the per capita consumption of poultry has continued to rise since the 1960’s with the largest increase in production of further processed and convenience products (Figure 1). Because of the emphasis on value-added products, the poultry industry has become focused on improving product yield and meat quality. Commonly used methods of adding value to poultry meats include brining and marinating. Historically, the purpose brining and marinating meat was to preserve the meat. While meat preservation is still an important issue, today, brining and marinating are commonly used to increase yields by increasing water retention and improve meat quality characteristics, particularly meat tenderness.