Probiotics and their fermented feed: multi-dimensional effects and mechanistic insights on pork quality

Pork is rich in various nutrients and serves as a pivotal source of protein in the human diet, accounting for a substantial portion of worldwide meat consumption. With the rapid development of the national economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for high-quality meat is continuously increasing. However, the production of high-quality pork still faces critical challenges. At present, improving pork quality through probiotics and their fermented feed has become a hot topic of interest and concern. Fermented feed can enhance pork quality by improving meat color, drip loss, tenderness, flavor, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and nutritional value. In this review, we summarized and discussed the recent advances in fermentation strains, fermentation technology, fermented feed characteristics, and their effects and regulatory mechanisms on pork quality, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and technical insights for the application of fermented feed in the production of high-quality pork.