Bactericidal Treatment of Hatching Eggs V: Efficiency of Repetitive Immersions in Hydrogen Peroxide or Phenol to Eliminate Salmonella from Hatching Eggs

Abstract

In previous studies, immersion in hydrogen peroxide and phenol reduced Salmonella-positive eggs without reducing hatchability. This study was carried out to determine if three consecutive dips in a chemical was more effective than a single immersion to eliminate Salmonella from hatching eggs. Eggs were inoculated with a marker strain of Salmonella typhimurium by submerging the egg in a solution containing low numbers (103) or high numbers (105) of the organism. After allowing the eggs to dry, they were immersed for 1, 2, and 3 min in water, a 1.4% solution of hydrogen peroxide, or a 0.39% solution of phenol. With the low inoculation, Salmonella were eliminated from an additional 22%of the eggs when three dips were used as compared to a single dip.