Surfaces Of Chicken Carcasses Research Articles

The effects of a pilot-scale steam decontamination system on the hygiene and sensory quality of chicken carcasses

Salmonella and Campylobacter represent the two most commonly reported zoonoses in EU and cause a significant health burden. The effects of a prototype steam treatment system (Deconizer) on reduction of aerobic bacteria, Salmonella Enteritidis and Campylobacter jejuni on chicken carcasses were investigated in the present study. In addition, the treated chicken carcasses were subjected to sensory analysis. The system tested is intended to be integrated as part of chicken production lines to give a short steam treatment to the carcasses during processing.Freshly slaughtered eviscerated chicken carcasses were transported from the slaughterhouse to a Pathogen Pilot Plant facility. The chicken carcasses were treated with steam in the Deconizer for 3 s or 5 s at 95 °C or 120 °C. For determination of reduction of aerobic bacteria, the surface of chicken carcasses was sampled at three different places: breast, outer side of leg/thigh and wing on the left side of the carcasses before steam treatment (controls) and on the right side of the carcasses after steam treatment. For investigation of the reduction of S. Enteritidis and C. jejuni, a surface area of 2 × 5 cm2 was inoculated with 20 μl mix of the bacteria strains and spread over 10 cm2 on breasts, legs and wings on the left and right sides. Bacteria were subsequently sampled before steam treatments (left side) and after treatments (right side).The Deconizer steam treatment chamber substantially reduced aerobic bacteria, Salmonella and Campylobacter on chicken carcasses within a few seconds. The reduction was 1.22–3.33 log for aerobic bacteria, 1.36–3.05 log for Salmonella Enteritidis and 0.84–4.32 log for Campylobacter jejuni. Reductions of bacteria varied strongly with sampling place and treatment time. Heat treatments for 5 s gave consistently higher reductions than 3 s at both 95 °C and 120 °C, on both breast, legs and wings, and the reduction on breast was higher than on legs and wings.The method will not impede the speed of poultry processing and gives only marginal sensory changes in the appearance of the carcasses. The method employs no chemicals and can easily be implemented in chicken facilities to enhance food safety.

Effect of Succinic Acid on Elimination of Salmonella in Chicken Meat

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of selected concentrations of succinic acid on the survival of Salmonella on microbiological media and on the surfaces of chicken carcasses. Samples were inoculated with Salmonella serovars Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Hadar, Infantis, and Virchow. Each strain from each dilution was plated on nutrient agar without chemical substances (pH 6.75, control) or with 0.02% (pH 5.73), 0.05% (pH 4.77), 0.1% (pH 4.42), or 0.25% (pH 3.90) succinic acid. The addition of 0.25% succinic acid in agar medium completely inhibited the growth of all Salmonella strains tested. The 150 samples of broiler chicken breasts were immersed for 2 min in 80 mL of a 107 CFU/mL Salmonella cocktail. The samples were then transferred to sterile beakers with 250 mL of 2 and 5% succinic acid for 5 min. With 2% succinic acid, Salmonella reductions (compared with the control) were 1.27 to 1.47 log CFU/g. With 5% succinic acid, reductions were 2.00 to 3.20 log CFU/g. The results indicate that it is possible to reduce the level of Salmonella on broiler chicken carcasses by immersing them in a 2% succinic acid solution.

Surface Decontamination of Whole Chicken Carcasses Using a Pilot-Scale Pulsed UV Light System

Pulsed UV light is a novel technology that is designed to inactivate microorganisms on surfaces in very short times. In this study, a pilot-scale pulsed UV light system was designed, built, and evaluated for its effectiveness on the microbial load of whole chicken carcasses. The pulsed UV light system consists of four 40.64 cm (16 in.) lamp housings, facing each other in series, and a linear rail mounted along the midpoint of the chamber ceiling. Each chicken surface was sprayed with Escherichia coli K12 inoculum and treated at approximately 5 cm from the quartz window of the lamp housing on each side. Treatment times of 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180 s were selected, based on the time each chicken would spend between one set of lamps. The log10 reductions ranged from 0.87 to 1.43 CFU mL-1 rinse solution after 30 and 180 s treatments, which correspond to conveyor velocities of 78 and 13 cm min-1, respectively. Energy levels for the lamps ranged from 0.24 to 0.25 J pulse-1 cm-2. Sample temperatures increased significantly (p < 0.05) with longer treatment times, and the temperatures ranged from 11.1C to 44.1C. CIELAB color parameters of carcasses after 45, 90, and 180 s treatments were determined. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in L* values and increase in b* values was observed after 90 and 180 s treatments, while a* values did not change significantly (p > 0.05) after treatments. The optimum treatment time was identified as 45 s, which resulted in ~1 log10 reduction (90% reduction). Overall, the pilot-scale pulsed UV light system was successfully designed and tested to demonstrate the potential of pulsed UV light treatment to decontaminate the surfaces of chicken carcasses without the use of chemicals.

Efficacy of electrolyzed water in the prevention and removal of fecal material attachment and its microbicidal effectiveness during simulated industrial poultry processing

This study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of alkaline and acidic electrolyzed (EO) water in preventing and removing fecal contaminants and killing Campylobacter jejuni on poultry carcasses under simulated industrial processing conditions. New York dressed and defeathered chicken carcasses spot-inoculated with cecal material or C. jejuni were subjected to spraying treatment with alkaline EO or 10% trisodium phosphate (TSP) water or combinations of spraying and immersion treatments with acidic EO and chlorinated water, respectively. Prespraying chicken carcasses with alkaline EO water significantly lowered cecal material attachment scores (3.77) than tap water (4.07) and 10% TSP (4.08) upon treatment of the dorsal area. Combinations of pre- and postspraying were significantly more effective than postspraying only, especially when using alkaline EO water in removing fecal materials on the surface of chicken carcasses. Although treatment by immersion only in EO and chlorinated water significantly reduced the initial population (4.92 log10 cfu/g) of C. jejuni by 2.33 and 2.05 log10 cfu/g, respectively, combinations of spraying and immersion treatment did not improve the bactericidal effect of sanitizers. The results indicated that alkaline EO water might provide an alternative to TSP in preventing attachment and removal of feces on the surface of chicken carcasses. The results also suggested that chicken carcasses containing pathogenic microorganisms may contribute to the cross-contamination of whole batches of chickens during processing in the chiller tank and afterward.

Modification of the VSV Surface Pasteurizer to Treat the Visceral Cavity and Surfaces of Chicken Carcasses

ABSTRACT: Previous research with the VSV (vacuum/steam/vacuum) surface pasteurizer revealed the visceral cavity of chicken carcasses was not treated as effectively as the outside surface. The processor was modified to specifically treat the cavity by adding a mandrel assembly. Optimum process parameters were determined. Optimum process conditions were: initial vacuum 0.1s, final vacuum 0.5 s, vacuum absolute pressure of 4.1 to 7.1 kPa, steam time 0.1 s, and steam temperature 138 °C. Using carcasses inoculated with Listeria innocua and the whole bird rinse sampling procedure, bacteria kills were statistically significant at 0.7 to 0.8 log cfu/mL. Using deboned chicken breasts inoculated with L. innocua and the whole bird rinse sampling procedure, bacteria kills were statistically significant at 1.0 to 1.3 log cfu/mL.

Antimicrobial Effects of Sodium Tripolyphosphate Against Bacteria Attached to the Surface of Chicken Carcasses

Sodium tripolyphosphate was evaluated using microbiological plating and sensory tests for its ability to decrease spoilage flora on chicken carcasses. The treated and control carcasses were kept at 4 °C and examined separately at days 0, 2 and 4 and every day thereafter to 10 d. The data showed the spoilage bacteria were always significantly less in the treated samples. During storage the total aerobic counts reduced from log 10= 4.7 cfu/cm 2to log 10= 3.8 cfu/cm 2, B. thermosphactafrom log 10= 2.9 cfu/cm 2to log 10= 1.5 cfu/cm 2, Pseudomonasspp. from log 10= 3.1 cfu/cm 2to log 10= 2.5 cfu/cm 2and coliformcounts from log 10= 2.1 MPN/cm 2to log 10= 1.6 MPN/cm 2(MPN = most probable number). Sensory evaluation scores indicated that the treated carcasses gave a noticeable putrid odour after day 7 (3.8 ± 0.10) whereas the control carcasses gave an odour after day 4 (3.5 ± 0.18) of storage. Slime formation in the controls was observed after day 5 (2.5 ± 0.23) while the treated carcasses were just beginning to show slime after day 8 (3.5 ± 0.13) of storage. In addition the polyphosphate treated carcasses stored at 4 °C for at least 3 more d than the controls.

Some Observations Concerning the Hydrogen Ion Variability of the Chicken Carcass Surface During Storage

THE pH of chicken flesh like that of other animal carcasses changes during rigor mortis and the ultimate pH is normally reached shortly after slaughter (Bate-Smith and Bendall, 1949; de Fremery and Pool, 1960; and Dodge and Peters, 1960). Mountney et al. (1964) reported that the application of HCl to the surface of chicken carcasses inhibited microbial growth. Literature dealing with pH changes of the chicken carcass surface per se has not been found by the authors. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain pH changes of the surface of chicken carcasses after rigor mortis and determine the effects of some environmental conditions on pH changes of the chicken carcass surface. EXPERIMENTALGeneral. Carcass surface pH was determined by thoroughly rinsing a carcass sample with sterile distilled water and the pH of the rinse water determined. Preliminary work showed that pH determination could be made by placing electrodes…

An Evaluation of Techniques Commonly Used to Quantitatively Determine the Bacterial Population on Chicken Carcasses

FIVE techniques are currently in use for the quantitative determinations of bacterial numbers on the surface of chicken carcasses. These methods are the cotton swab, alginate swab, spot plate, tissue sample and carcass rinse techniques. Gunderson et al. (1954) compared the cotton swab and spot plate techniques and found them to be quantitatively similar. Ayres et al. (1956) found that there was a consistent relationship between the bacterial numbers removed by the cotton swab technique and those recovered from the rinse technique. These workers made the assumption that either method was acceptable but preferred the cotton swab method because it was more convenient and did not give underestimates. Mallman et al. (1958) reported that cotton swab and rinse counts paralleled each other at the various levels of contamination but the cotton swab counts were more variable. From these results Mallman et al. concluded that the rinse technique is a more …