Commercial Processing Plant Research Articles

Incidence, species and antimicrobial resistance of naturally occurring Campylobacter isolates from quail carcasses sampled in a commercial processing facility

AbstractThere is limited information about Campylobacter in commercially processed quail (Coturnix coturnix). The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter on carcasses in a commercial quail processing plant. Carcasses were collected prior to chilling and/or the application of any antimicrobials, transported to the laboratory, and individually bagged. Following the standard protocol for recovering Campylobacter, three typical colonies were selected, confirmed as Campylobacter and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Nine replicates were conducted. Of the 85 carcasses obtained (n = 5 for first visit, n = 10 for 8 subsequent visits), 28 (32.9%) carcasses were found to be positive for Campylobacter. On four visits, no Campylobacter was found; on two visits, all samples were positive; and 1/5, 1/10, and 6/10 samples were positive for the remaining visits. Of the 28 isolates recovered, 18 (64%) were C. jejuni and 10 (36%) were C. coli. Tetracycline resistance was detected in all 28 isolates. Future work in the breeder flocks, hatchery, and grow‐out houses is planned to further understand Campylobacter ecology in quail production and processing which could also be useful to the broiler industry.Practical applicationsVery little published information exists for the presence of Campylobacter spp. on processed quail. Most of the studies involve cloacal swabs and ceca from samples obtained from hunters. This study involves sampling processed quail carcasses from a large commercial integrated company and also determined the species and antibiotic resistance profile of the Campylobacter isolates. There is considerable debate concerning the ecology of Campylobacter on poultry and perhaps our data can be used by the broiler industry to develop a better understanding of the ecology and to assist in the application of effective intervention strategies. Presently, there is slightly under 100,000 million commercially processed and domestically grown quails in the United States each year, most of which is marketed in Europe as a frozen product. So the presence of an important foodborne pathogen on this food is significant information.

Application of hyperspectral imaging on meat and meat products.

Abstract Consumers' demand for quality and healthfulness has led to a higher need for quality assurance in meat production, which has increased interest in hyperspectral imaging (HSI). By merging both spatial and spectral features in one single system, HSI has the advantage of being effective for the rapid, environmentally friendly and non-invasive quality assessment, without further sample preparation. This review highlights recent publications using HSI technology for quantitative and qualitative purposes in the meat sector, where discrepancies between published studies and potential sources of variability are discussed. Many of the studies surveyed in this review show the potential of HSI systems to become a rapid and objective assay for quality assessment and classification/detection purposes of meat and meat products. However, some limitations of this technology, mainly associated with intrinsic high dimensionality of data, have also been indicated. Several methods to overcome the disadvantages, such as implementing fast and more efficient algorithms or selection of the optimal wavelengths for analysis through new dimension reduction methods, are discussed and their performance evaluated. Using selected studies, the methods leading to more efficient prediction results are illustrated. The process of improvement starting from full spectral range through the selection of optimal wavelengths for each attribute separately to finally systems in which one set of optimal wavelengths is used for prediction of different attributes or in which one set of wavelengths is used for the determination of the same attribute of different meat species is shown. The HSI systems have undergone significant changes and advances in lighting systems, spectral data acquisition devices, detectors and algorithms in the last few years. Efforts to develop dedicated instrument for particular applications (specifically tenderness prediction) are discussed. Some issues remain, however, unresolved as more improvement in terms of speed and processing is needed before the HSI technology can be effectively implemented in commercial meat processing plants for the non-destructive and rapid quality assessment and sorting in real-time.

Effect of Four Chicken Carcass Transportation Methods at Selected Room Temperatures on the Bacterial Load of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli.

Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for a significant number of food poisonings in humans through infected poultries. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of transportation of chicken carcasses at 18-24, 4-5, and 10-14 oC on the bacterial loads of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli. This study was conducted on 180 fresh chicken carcasses (1197.0±19.88 g) randomly collected from a commercial poultry processing plant in southern Tehran, Iran, in a hot season in 2015. The sampling was performed at two stages, namely post-chilled washing and after 4 h of transportation. In the latter stage, the samples were selected from three vehicles with three types of temperatures. These vehicles included a pickup (18-24 oC), a refrigerated car (4-5 oC), and a refrigerated vehicle with switched off refrigerator (10-14 oC). According to the results, the whole body carcass samples transported at the pickup temperature had the highest mean total count (18.63×106±2.82×106 cfu.ml-1) and was greater (P<0.05) than the standard limit (5×106). On the other hand, the samples carried by the vehicle with switched off refrigerator had the lowest total count (0.65±0.04×106 cfu.ml-1). Similar results were obtained for S. aureus; accordingly, it reached the maximum (333.0±30.73 cfu.ml-1) at 18-24 oC, which was lower than the national standard limit even after 4 h of transportation. In addition, the cfu values for the total count and S. aureus sampled from the chicken carcasses were lower than the national standard level even after 4 h of carcass transportation, with the exception of Salmonella spp. at the three vehicle temperatures and E. coli at the pickup temperature. It was suggested that the transportation temperature of less than 10-14 oC could not affect the fresh chicken carcass to be contaminated with S. aureus and E. coli.

High pressure processing improves the tenderness and quality of hot-boned beef

Strip loins from different grades of cattle were subjected to two levels of high pressure processing (HPP) within 1h of slaughter at a commercial meat processing plant and chilled for 1day before freezing. The physical and eating quality characteristics of longissimus thoracis (strip loin) steaks from HPP were compared to meat that was chill aged for 1 or 28days. HPP produced meat after 1day with 60% lower shear force and higher sensory eating quality scores than 1day chill aged meat. Extended chill storage for 28days produced steaks of similar tenderness to HPP meat. HPP also increased the ultimate pH and decreased the cooking loss. Chilled storage of the gluteus medius from prime cattle for 28days significantly improved the shear force by 18%, whilst HPP improved both the shear force by 43% and the sensory eating quality scores. HPP can produce high eating quality eye of rump medallions within 1day of slaughter.

Campylobacter multi‐locus sequence types and antimicrobial susceptibility of broiler cecal isolates: A two year study of 143 commercial flocks

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni and coli from broiler ceca. Ceca from one broiler were collected from a commercial processing plant, once or twice weekly for 2 years (n = 143). Campylobacter were cultured from the cecal contents and analyzed by whole genome sequencing, multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Seventy‐two of 143 carcasses examined were positive for Campylobacter. A total of 24 MLST sequence‐types (ST) were identified belonging to ten Campylobacter clonal complexes (CC). Three MLST clonal complexes, CC‐353 (53.2%), CC‐828 (17.7%), and CC‐48 (11.4%) accounted for the majority of Campylobacter isolates recovered. Compared to all other clonal complexes, a significantly higher percentage (p < .05) of C. coli isolates belonging to CC‐828 complex were resistant to azithromycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and gentamicin. CC‐48 was significantly more resistant to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid than other CCs regardless of species. No isolates were resistant to florfenicol.Practical applicationsDespite high genetic diversity among Campylobacter recovered from broiler ceca during this 2‐year study, antimicrobial resistance was significantly linked to MLST clonal complex, specifically C. coli, CC‐828 and C. jejuni, CC‐48.

Comparison of the Efficacy of a Sulfuric Acid–Sodium Sulfate Blend and Lactic Acid for the Reduction of Salmonella on Prerigor Beef Carcass Surface Tissue

A study was conducted to compare the efficacy of a commercially available sulfuric acid-sodium sulfate blend (SSS) and lactic acid (LA) in reducing inoculated Salmonella populations on beef. Sixty pieces of prerigor beef carcass surface brisket tissue, collected directly from the processing line of a commercial beef processing plant, were cut into two sections (10 by 10 cm each) and spot inoculated (6 to 7 log CFU/cm2) on the adipose side with a six-strain mixture of Salmonella. One section per piece of brisket tissue was left untreated (control), while the second section was spray treated (5 s, 15 lb/in2, and 33 mL/s flow rate) with unheated (21°C) or heated (52°C) solutions of SSS (pH 1.1) or LA (4%). Unheated and heated SSS lowered (P < 0.05) total bacterial counts from 6.3 to 4.6 and 4.3 log CFU/cm2, respectively. Likewise, unheated and heated LA reduced (P < 0.05) total bacterial counts from 6.3 to 4.7 and 4.4 log CFU/cm2, respectively. Initial counts of inoculated Salmonella populations (6.1 to 6.2 log CFU/cm2) were reduced (P < 0.05) to 4.2 and 3.9 log CFU/cm2 following treatment with unheated and heated SSS, respectively, and to 3.7 and 3.8 log CFU/cm2 after treatment with unheated and heated LA, respectively. Overall, the temperature of the chemical solutions had a small (0.3 log CFU/cm2), but significant (P < 0.05), effect on total bacterial counts but not (P > 0.05) on Salmonella counts. Regardless of solution temperature, Salmonella counts for LA-treated samples were 0.3 log CFU/cm2 lower (P < 0.05) than those of samples treated with SSS. These results indicate that both unheated and heated solutions of SSS and LA are effective interventions for reducing Salmonella contamination on prerigor beef carcass surface tissue.

Predicting Color Traits of Intact Broiler Breast Fillets Using Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This study was conducted to assess the potential for visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy to predict an important quality attribute, color traits, of intact broiler breast fillets (pectoralis major). A total of 214 boneless and skinless chicken fillets were procured from a commercial processing plant. The quantitative calibration models were established between five color trait parameters (CIELAB L*, a*, b*, chroma, and hue angle) and spectra from four different spectral ranges (400–2500, 400–1100, 1100–2500, and 900–1700 nm) collected from skin (ventral) and bone (dorsal) sides of fillets individually by partial least squares regressions (PLSR). Predictive ability was assessed by coefficient of determination of prediction (R p 2), ratio performance deviation (RPD), and range error ratio (RER). Models developed based on spectra collected from fillet bone side performed better than those from skin side regardless of color trait, best results were all obtained using 400–2500 nm and closely followed by 400–1100 nm. Prediction results for meat redness a* (R p 2 = 0.81; RPD = 2.21; RER = 12.13) and hue angle (R p 2 = 0.80; RPD = 2.07; RER = 12.65) were the best and for L*, b*, and chroma (R p 2 ≥ 0.72; RPD ≥ 1.81; RER ≥ 8.48) were also well. This work systematically evaluated the influence of different color trait parameters, fillet side spectra, spectral ranges, and pre-treatment methods compared with previous investigation, and results suggest that Vis/NIR spectroscopy can be a feasible method for prediction of color traits of intact broiler breast fillets, especially when spectra are collected from the fillet bone side and range of optimal partial ranges is included.

Rapid on-line detection and grading of wooden breast myopathy in chicken fillets by near-infrared spectroscopy.

The main objective of this work was to develop a method for rapid and non-destructive detection and grading of wooden breast (WB) syndrome in chicken breast fillets. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was chosen as detection method, and an industrial NIR scanner was applied and tested for large scale on-line detection of the syndrome. Two approaches were evaluated for discrimination of WB fillets: 1) Linear discriminant analysis based on NIR spectra only, and 2) a regression model for protein was made based on NIR spectra and the estimated concentrations of protein were used for discrimination. A sample set of 197 fillets was used for training and calibration. A test set was recorded under industrial conditions and contained spectra from 79 fillets. The classification methods obtained 99.5–100% correct classification of the calibration set and 100% correct classification of the test set. The NIR scanner was then installed in a commercial chicken processing plant and could detect incidence rates of WB in large batches of fillets. Examples of incidence are shown for three broiler flocks where a high number of fillets (9063, 6330 and 10483) were effectively measured. Prevalence of WB of 0.1%, 6.6% and 8.5% were estimated for these flocks based on the complete sample volumes. Such an on-line system can be used to alleviate the challenges WB represents to the poultry meat industry. It enables automatic quality sorting of chicken fillets to different product categories. Manual laborious grading can be avoided. Incidences of WB from different farms and flocks can be tracked and information can be used to understand and point out main causes for WB in the chicken production. This knowledge can be used to improve the production procedures and reduce today’s extensive occurrence of WB.

Evaluation of Bacteriophage Application to Cattle in Lairage at Beef Processing Plants to Reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 Prevalence on Hides and Carcasses.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major food safety concern for the beef industry. Several studies have provided evidence that cattle hides are the main source of beef carcass contamination during processing and that reductions in the E. coli O157:H7 load on the hides of cattle entering processing facilities will lead to reductions in carcass contamination. Bacteriophages have been proposed as a novel preharvest antimicrobial intervention to reduce the levels of E. coli O157:H7 on cattle hides. The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercialized phage application administered in the lairage area of commercial beef processing plants for the ability to reduce E. coli O157:H7 contamination of cattle hides and carcasses. Cattle lots either received phage spray treatment (n = 289) or did not (n = 301), as they entered the lairage environments in two separate experiments at two different commercial beef processing plants. Hide and carcass samples were collected and analyzed for E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and concentration. Cattle hides receiving phage treatment had an E. coli O157:H7 prevalence of 51.8%, whereas untreated hides had a prevalence of 57.6%. For carcass samples, the E. coli O157 prevalence in treated and untreated samples was 17.1% and 17.6%, respectively. The results obtained from these experiments demonstrated that the treatment of cattle hides with bacteriophages before processing did not produce a significant reduction of E. coli O157:H7 on cattle hides or beef carcasses during processing.

Variation in Campylobacter Multilocus Sequence Typing Subtypes from Chickens as Detected on Three Plating Media

The objective of this study was to compare subtypes of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli detected on three selective Campylobacter plating media to determine whether each medium selected for different subtypes. Fifty ceca and 50 carcasses (representing 50 flocks) were collected from the evisceration line in a commercial broiler processing plant. Campylobacter was cultured and isolated from cecal contents and carcass rinses on Campy-Cefex, Campy Line, and RF Campylobacter jejuni/coli agars. When a positive result was obtained with all three media, one colony of the most prevalent morphology on each medium was selected for further analysis by full genome sequencing and multilocus sequence typing. Sequence types were assigned according to PubMLST. A total of 49 samples were positive for Campylobacter on all three media. Forty samples contained only C. jejuni , three had only C. coli , and both species were detected in six samples. From 71% of samples, Campylobacter isolates of the same sequence type were recovered on all three media. From 81.6% of samples, isolates were all from the same clonal complex. From significantly fewer samples (26%, P < 0.01), one medium recovered an isolate with a sequence type different from the type recovered on the other two media. When multiple sequence types were detected, six times the medium with the odd sequence type was Campy-Cefex, four times it was Campy-Line, and six times it was RF Campylobacter jejuni/coli . From one sample, three sequence types were detected. In most cases, all three plating media allowed detection of the same type of Campylobacter from complex naturally contaminated chicken samples.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolated from two pork processing plants in Alberta, Canada

This study investigated the frequency of Salmonella serovars on pig carcasses at various processing steps in two commercial pork processing plants in Alberta, Canada and characterized phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and PFGE patterns of the Salmonella isolates. Over a one year period, 1000 swab samples were collected from randomly selected pigs at two slaughter plants. Sampling points were: carcass swabs after bleeding (CSAB), carcass swabs after de-hairing (CSAD, plant A) or skinning (CSASk, plant B), carcass swabs after evisceration (CSAE), carcass swabs after pasteurization (CSAP, plant A) or washing (CSAW, plants B) and retail pork (RP). For plant A, 87% of CSAB and 8% of CSAE were positive for Salmonella while at plant B, Salmonella was recovered from 94% of CSAB and 10% of CSAE. Salmonella was not recovered from the RP samples at either plant, indicating that the plants used effective control measures. Salmonella enterica serovar Derby was the most common serotype (23%, 29/127) recovered in plant A and plant B (61%, 76/124). For plant A, 35% (45/127) of isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Five isolates (3.9%), 4 serovar Ohio strains and one serovar I:Rough-O:I,v:-, strain were simultaneously resistant to antimicrobials of very high (Category I), high (Category II), and medium (Category III) importance to human medicine. The 4 S. Ohio isolates were recovered from 3 different steps of pork processing on the same sampling day and displayed resistance to 5–7 antimicrobials, with all of them displaying resistance to ceftiofur and ceftriaxone (Category I). An I:Rough-O:l,v:- isolate, recovered on a different sampling day, was resistant to 7 antimicrobials that included resistance to ampicillin/clavulanic acid, ceftiofur and ceftriaxone (Category I). Salmonella strains isolated from plant A harbored 12 different AMR genes. The most prevalent genes were sul1, sul2, tet(A), tet(B), aadA, strA/strB, aac(3)IV and aphA1. For Salmonella isolates from plant B, 7 resistance genes were identified alone or in combination where tet(B) was found in 77 (62.3%) of the isolates. For plant A, 19 different PFGE subtypes of Salmonella isolates that displayed phenotypic and/or genotypic resistance were observed while 13 different PFGE subtypes were observed for plant B. The lack of detection of Salmonella on the surfaces of RP suggests that current pork processing practices can dramatically reduce Salmonella. Salmonella isolates from pig carcasses at various steps displayed multidrug resistance, including to those of very high importance in human medicine, which represent a public health concern.

Comparison of sensory texture attributes of broiler breast fillets with different degrees of white striping

The white striping (WS) condition in broiler meat results in increased intramuscular fat, connective tissue, and moisture loss during cooking and negatively affects product appearance and consumer acceptance of skinless chicken meat. The effect of WS on the human perception of cooked meat texture is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of WS on sensory texture attributes of cooked chicken breast fillets (Pectoralis major). Over three separate trial days, a total of 105 breast butterfly fillets were collected from the deboning line of a commercial broiler processing plant. Fillets were classified according to the degree of WS (normal, moderate, severe) and stored at −20°C until use. Fourteen representative fillets from each category were cooked directly from the frozen state to an endpoint temperature of 78°C and evaluated by a 7-member trained panel for five texture attributes: cohesiveness, hardness, juiciness, rate of breakdown, and chewiness. There were no differences (P > 0.05) for juiciness or the rate of breakdown between the fillets based on the degree of WS. Among the three WS groups, however, differences (P < 0.05) in cohesiveness, hardness, and chewiness were observed. For these attributes, the mean intensity scores of fillets with severe WS were consistently highest among the groups. There were no differences (P > 0.05) between the normal and moderate WS fillets. These data suggest that the severe WS condition was perceived to be harder, more cohesive, and chewier than either normal or moderate WS fillets by panelists.

A four‐quadrant sequential streak technique to evaluate Campylobacter selective broths for suppressing background flora in broiler carcass rinses

AbstractA semi‐quantitative ecometric technique was used to evaluate efficacy of selective culture media. It involved a standardized chronological streaking technique, leading to ever‐decreasing number of colonies. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of this technique (four‐quandrant sequential streak [FQS]) with two commonly used Campylobacter broths (Bolton's and Tecra) with whole carcass rinses of post‐pick broilers (n = 30) obtained from a commercial processing plant. Ten ?L from each sample type was streaked (five individual streak lines) onto one quarter of a Campy‐cefex agar plate and sequentially into the next three quadrants. Growth of extraneous bacteria was expressed as an absolute growth index (AGI). A significant (P &lt; 0.05) difference in background microflora suppression was observed using this procedure. A positive correlation between decreasing levels of background microflora within the broths was observed as the AGI declined. FQS can be used for rapid semi‐quantitative estimation of an enrichment broth's efficacy.Practical applicationsThe heavy presence of extraneous background microorganisms on a selective agar plate is a serious deterrent to the accurate detection of a target organism. This study confirmed sequential streaking as an appropriate and easily applied method to evaluate the relative efficiency of selective enrichment broths for Campylobacter in the suppression of background microflora on selective plates. The four‐quadrant sequential streak (FQS) ecometric technique is an inexpensive, rapid, semi‐quantitative method to evaluate the effectiveness of various selective enrichment broths.

Application of Biohydrometallurgy to Copper Mining in Zambia: Prospects and Opportunities

The consumption of copper worldwide has grown fast since 2000; the mining industry is increasingly faced with the necessity to process low grade ores and waste tailings, from current mining operations. The economic extraction of copper from low-grade ores requires low-cost processing methods such as biohydrometallurgy. This study looks at a general panorama of copper mining in Zambia and discusses biohydrometallurgy as a novel and economically viable process for copper extraction. It also presents future prospects of this technology in Zambia. Since early 1930s, the copper mining industry has been the economic and social pillar of Zambia with about 80% contribution to the total export earnings and about 13% Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mineralisation in the Zambian Copperbelt is dominantly sulphide, comprising of chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite among others with grades of the ore deposits generally in the range of 3 - 4% copper and 0.1 - 0.2% cobalt. Huge low grade copper deposits (~0.67% Cu) which are dominantly sulphides (chalcopyrite) were recently discovered in Lumwana area in the North-western Zambia and are currently being exploited. Reports show that more than one billion tons of ore (c.2.7% Cu) has so far been mined from the mines on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia and conservative estimates suggest that a further two billion tons await exploitation. This provides considerable opportunities for further exploration and mining in Zambia. However, there is currently no commercial copper processing plants in operation on a large-scale in Zambia via biohydrometallurgical process. In order for Zambian mining industry to considerably improve recoveries at inherently lower capital cost, there is need to focus effort on research in this innovative technology and its application.

Impact of white striping on functionality attributes of broiler breast meat

The influence of white striping (WS) on the water-holding capacity (WHC) and protein functionality attributes of broiler breast meat was investigated. Boneless breast fillets (Pectoralis major) were collected from the deboning line of a commercial processing plant and categorized by WS score (normal, moderate, severe). The physical (weight, pH, CIE-color values), water-holding capacity (salt-induced water uptake, cook loss, final yield), protein functionality (solubility, emulsifying activity), and protein composition (SDS-PAGE) characteristics of the fillets were measured in three experiments. Breast meat with WS exhibited greater fillet weights, higher pH, and similar color values (L*a*b*) to normal fillets. In experiment 1, fillets were frozen-thawed prior to analysis. The WS condition reduced thaw loss, sarcoplasmic protein solubility, and the emulsifying activity of the myofibrillar proteins, but did not significantly affect salt-induced water uptake, cook loss, final yield, or myofibrillar protein solubility. In experiment 2, breast meat was analyzed fresh and after a freeze-thaw cycle. Freezing samples prior to analysis negatively influenced WHC and reduced sarcoplasmic protein solubility in both WS and normal fillets. In fresh and frozen-thawed meat, the WS condition decreased sarcoplasmic protein solubility but did not significantly alter WHC or myofibrillar protein solubility. For experiment 3, fillets were portioned into 3 sections (Location A, cranial end-ventral surface; Location B, cranial end-dorsal surface; Location C, caudal end). The effects of WS on WHC and protein solubility were dependent upon breast fillet sampling location. Fillets with WS exhibited lower salt-induced water uptake, greater cook loss, and lower sarcoplasmic protein solubility than normal fillets when sampled from location A. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that differences in the composition of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein fractions between WS and normal fillets were influenced by sampling location. These results suggest that WS diminishes the WHC and protein functionality of broiler breast meat, but demonstrate that the WS effects on these traits are not uniform throughout the breast muscle.

Prevalence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) condition in chicken meat used for commercial meat processing and its effect on roasted chicken breast.

BackgroundStudies on prevalence of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) condition in Sri Lankan poultry industry is minimal. Hence, the objective of present study was to determine the incidence of PSE chicken meat in a commercial meat processing plant and to find out its consequences on meat quality traits of roasted chicken breast.MethodA total of 60 breast fillets were randomly selected, evaluated based on color L* value, and placed into 1 of 2 categories; PSE (L* > 58) or normal meat (L* ≤ 58). A total of 20 breast fillets (10 PSE and 10 normal) were then analyzed for color, pH, and water holding capacity (WHC). After processing those into roasted chicken breast, cooking loss, color, pH, WHC, and texture values were evaluated. A sensory evaluation was conducted using 30 untrained panelists.ResultsThe incidence of PSE meat was 70 % in the present experiment. PSE fillets were significantly lighter and had lower pH values compared with normal fillets. Correlation between the lightness and pH was negative (P < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in color, texture, and WHC values between the 2 groups after processing into roasted chicken breast (P > 0.05), an approximately 3 % higher cooking loss was observed in PSE group compared to its counterpart (P < 0.05). Moreover, cooking loss and lightness values showed a significant positive correlation. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in sensory parameters between the 2 products (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThese results indicated that an economical loss can be expected due to the significantly higher cooking loss observed in roasted breast processed from PSE meat.

Detection of Salmonella Serotypes by Overnight Incubation of Entire Broiler Carcass

AbstractThere are multiple ways to sample broiler chicken carcasses for the prevalence of Salmonella. A common method in the USA is a whole carcass rinse and culture of an aliquot of the rinse. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of the rinse aliquot method to overnight enrichment of the entire carcass in the rinse liquid. Fourteen replicate samplings of eight carcasses each were done at two commercial broiler processing plants. Carcasses were subjected to a whole carcass rinse in buffered peptone from which 30 mL was removed and added to 30 mL fresh buffered peptone (rinse aliquot sample). The aliquot sample and the carcass, in the remaining buffered peptone, were incubated overnight prior to standard selective enrichment and plating for Salmonella detection. Salmonella was detected in 15% of rinse aliquot samples and 59% of whole carcass enrichment samples. When detected by both methods, for the most part, the same serotypes were found on individual carcasses. Whole carcass enrichment was shown to be more sensitive than rinse aliquot method, and likely detects Salmonellae even when tightly bound to the carcass or present in very low numbers. As such, whole carcass enrichment is a useful research tool to determine Salmonella prevalence.Practical ApplicationsWhole broiler carcass enrichment is a more sensitive method for detection of Salmonella than whole carcass rinse and aliquot incubation. Logistical requirements, however, make it impractical for routine or large scale investigations. Whole carcass enrichment has utility for research purposes to determine relative sensitivity of other methods or for testing of broiler processing microbial interventions.

Effect of Exposure Time and Organic Matter on Efficacy of Antimicrobial Compounds against Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli and Salmonella

Several antimicrobial compounds are in commercial meat processing plants for pathogen control on beef carcasses. However, the efficacy of the method used is influenced by a number of factors, such as spray pressure, temperature, type of chemical and concentration, exposure time, method of application, equipment design, and the stage in the process that the method is applied. The objective of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of time of exposure of various antimicrobial compounds against nine strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and four strains of Salmonella in aqueous antimicrobial solutions with and without organic matter. Non-O157 STEC, STEC O157:H7, and Salmonella were exposed to the following aqueous antimicrobial solutions with or without beef purge for 15, 30, 60, 120, 300, 600, and 1,800 s: (i) 2.5% lactic acid, (ii) 4.0% lactic acid, (iii) 2.5% Beefxide, (iv) 1% Aftec 3000, (v) 200 ppm of peracetic acid, (vi) 300 ppm of hypobromous acid, and (vii) water as a control. In general, increasing exposure time to antimicrobial compounds significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased the effectiveness against pathogens tested. In aqueous antimicrobial solutions without organic matter, both peracetic acid and hypobromous acid were the most effective in inactivating populations of STEC and Salmonella, providing at least 5.0-log reductions with exposure for 15 s. However, in antimicrobials containing organic matter, 4.0% lactic acid was the most effective compound in reducing levels of STEC and Salmonella, providing 2- to 3-log reductions with exposure for 15 s. The results of this study indicated that organic matter and exposure time influenced the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds against pathogens, especially with oxidizer compounds. These factors should be considered when choosing an antimicrobial compound for an intervention.

Histology, composition, and quality traits of chicken Pectoralis major muscle affected by wooden breast abnormality

Only a few years ago, the poultry industry began to face a recent abnormality in breast meat, known as wooden breast, which frequently overlaps with white striping. This study aimed to assess the impact of wooden breast abnormality on quality traits of meat. For this purpose, 32 normal (NRM), 32 wooden (WB), and 32 wooden and white-striped (WB/WS) Pectoralis major muscles were selected from the same flock of heavy broilers (males, Ross 708, weighing around 3.7 kg) in the deboning area of a commercial processing plant at 3 h postmortem and used to assess histology, proximate (moisture, protein, fat, ash, and collagen) and mineral composition (Mg, K, P, Na and Ca), sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein patterns, and technological traits of breast meat. Compared to the normal group, WB/WS fillets showed more severe histological lesions characterized by fiber degeneration, fibrosis, and lipidosis, coupled with a significantly harder texture. With regard to proximate and mineral composition, abnormal samples exhibited significantly (P < 0.001) higher moisture, fat, and collagen contents coupled with lower (P < 0.001) amounts of protein and ash. Furthermore, increased calcium (131 vs. 84 mg kg(-1); P < 0.05) and sodium (741 vs. 393 mg kg(-1); P < 0.001) levels were found in WB/WS meat samples. The SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a significantly lower amount of calcium-ATPase (SERCA, 114 kDa), responsible for the translocation of Ca ions across the membrane, in normal breasts compared to abnormal ones. As for meat quality traits, fillets affected by wooden abnormality exhibited significantly (P < 0.001) higher ultimate pH and lower water-holding/water-binding capacity. In particular, compared to normal, abnormal samples showed reduced marinade uptake coupled with increased drip loss and cooking losses as well. In conclusion, this study revealed that meat affected by wooden breast or both wooden breast and white striping abnormalities exhibit poorer nutritional value, harder texture, and impaired water-holding capacity.

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canadian commercial pork processing plants.

This study investigated the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), their spa-types, and antimicrobial resistance profiles at various steps during commercial pork production from three plants designated as A, B and C. Over a period of 1year 2640 samples from three commercial pork plants were obtained on a rotating basis. Sample sources were: nasal swabs after bleeding (NSAB), nasal swab after scalding (NSASs, plant C) or skinning (NSASk, plants A, B), carcass swabs after pasteurization (CSAP, plant C) or washing (CSAW, plants A, B) and retail pork (RP). Overall MRSA prevalence at each sampling point in the pork plants after adjusting for clustering was: 61·93, 28·38 7·58 and 1·21% for NSAB, NSASc/Sk, CSAP/CSAW and RP respectively. The majority of MRSA isolates from the three pork plants belonged to livestock-associated MRSA spa-types t034 and t011 (3·8%; ST398). The mainly human spa-type t002 (15%) was also recovered. All MRSA isolates were resistant to β-lactam and tetracycline antibiotics. Overall resistance to tigecycline was found in about 10% of MRSA isolates while <3% isolates were resistant to daptomycin, gentamicin, quinupristin/dalfopristin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. A higher prevalence of MRSA in the nasal cavity of incoming pigs was observed at all three plants, but a notable reduction in MRSA along the pork processing steps occurred. The highest prevalence of MRSA was found in the nasal cavity of incoming pigs in three commercial pig slaughter and pork processing plants. A reduction in MRSA prevalence occurred along the processing chain, and pork products from these plants showed significantly lower MRSA than the initial steps of slaughter and processing, suggesting a reduction in MRSA during the slaughter process with minimal cross-contamination.