Introduction. Lactic acid microorganisms are widely used in the production of lactic acid foods, including for the creation of new products with functional properties. The ability of some types of lactic acid organisms to produce proteolytic enzymes can be used in other food industries, in particular in the meat industry. This issue has not been studied enough in the scientific literature. Purpose. The purpose of this work is to substantiate the feasibility of using biomass of lactic acid microorganisms — producers of proteolytic enzymes to modify the properties of hard meat raw materials. Materials and Methods. The paper monitors the scientific literature on the use of proteolytic enzymes in the food industry and in the production of animal feed, on the influence of various factors on the properties of enzymes, the dependence of food quality on the state of the protein component. Experiments were carried out on the cultivation of microorganisms — producers of proteolytic enzymes and their effect on meat raw materials. Results . The efficiency of using subsurface serum for the cultivation of a consortium of microorganisms is shown. The efficiency of using the obtained biomass for processing hard meat raw materials is shown. Conclusion . As a result of such processing, meat raw materials have acquired improved functional and technological properties (maturation time, moisture binding ability, water retention ability, shear stress limit, texture, and color of meat), which allows the use of modified raw materials for the production of new meat products with good consumer properties (taste, aroma, tenderness of meat product, protein digestibility). In addition, proteolytic enzymes are a protective factor against many unfavorable microorganisms.