Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Inhibit and Reduce the Attachment of Viable Salmonella typhimurium to Poultry Tissues

Abstract

ABSTRACTQuaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) were studied to characterize their inhibition and reversal of S. typhimurium's strong attachment to chicken skin. An initial screening human buccal epithelial cell model and a novel, highly quantitative model using pieces of chicken skin in culture plates were used. Some QAC, particularly cetylpyridinium chlo ride (CPC), were extremely effective at both inhibiting and reversing attachment of viable S. typhinlurium to chicken skin. Pretreatment of chicken skin (room temperature, 10 min) with 0.1% CPC completely inhibited the attachment of S. typhimurium. CPC may be very beneficial in reducing S. typhimurium contamination of poultry carcasses during processing and especially in preventing cross‐contamination.