Abstract
The poultry industry in the United States has traditionally implemented non-chemical and chemical interventions against Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. on the basis of experience and word-of-mouth information shared among poultry processors. The effects of individual interventions have been assessed with microbiological testing methods for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. prevalence as well as quantification of indicator organisms, such as aerobic plate counts (APC), to demonstrate efficacy. The current study evaluated the loads of both indicators and pathogens in a commercial chicken processing facility, comparing the “normal chemical”, with all chemical interventions turned-on, at typical chemical concentrations set by the processing plant versus low-chemical process (“reduced chemical”), where all interventions were turned off or reduced to the minimum concentrations considered in the facility’s HACCP system. Enumeration and prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. as well as indicator organisms (APC and Enterobacteriaceae—EB) enumeration were evaluated to compare both treatments throughout a 25-month sampling period. Ten locations were selected in the current bio-mapping study, including live receiving, rehanger, post eviscerator, post cropper, post neck breaker, post IOBW #1, post IOBW #2, prechilling, post chilling, and parts (wings). Statistical process control parameters for each location and processing schemes were developed for each pathogen and indicator evaluated. Despite demonstrating significant statistical differences between the normal and naked processes in Salmonella spp. counts (“normal” significantly lower counts than the “reduced” at each location except for post-eviscerator and post-cropper locations), the prevalence of Salmonella spp. after chilling is comparable on both treatments (~10%), whereas for Campylobacter spp. counts, only at the parts’ location was there significant statistical difference between the “normal chemical” and the “reduced chemical”. Therefore, not all chemical intervention locations show an overall impact on Salmonella spp. or Campylobacter spp., and certain interventions can be turned off to achieve the same or better microbial performance if strategic intervention locations are enhanced.
Highlights
The United States poultry industry is the largest producer and the second largest exporter of poultry meat in the world [1]
The log CFU/mL reductions from live receiving to rehanger locations were significant for all testing conducted on indicator and pathogen bacteria
Pathogen quantification can result in improved risk assessment where chemical interventions can be targeted to stages with higher indicator and pathogen bacteria counts
Summary
The United States poultry industry is the largest producer and the second largest exporter of poultry meat in the world [1]. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, estimated that in the United States (U.S.), there are around 48 million people who suffer from foodborne illnesses every year: 128,000 required hospitalization, and 3000 died. The contribution of poultry and eggs to foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria is 22.8%, which is the second highest percentage overall for illnesses compared to land animals (meat: 23.2%) [4]. Salmonella spp. is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses, after Norovirus, accounting for approximately 1.1 million cases per year, with 19,336 hospitalizations and 378 deaths [5]. The CDC notes that campylobacteriosis, caused by Campylobacter spp., is the most common bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the U.S, with approximately 20 cases diagnosed annually for every 100,000 people [5]. The impact of these two pathogens on public health is a significant concern in the United States and globally [7,8]
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