Carcass orientation and drip time affect potential surface water carryover for broiler carcasses subjected to a post-chill water dip or spray1.

To estimate the potential for residual antimicrobial solution carryover, surface water accumulation and loss was measured on post-chill carcasses that were either dipped or sprayed with water. For all experiments, broilers were slaughtered, soft or hard scalded, defeathered, and eviscerated. Carcasses were immersion chilled, allowed to drip, and post-chill carcass weight (CW) recorded. For water dip treatment, carcasses were dipped for 0.5 min in water and hung by a wing (n = 33) or a leg (n = 30) and CW recorded at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 min post-dip. For water spray treatment, individual carcasses were hung by either the wings (n = 35) or legs (n = 34) from a shackle suspended from a scale. Water was sprayed at 80 psi and post-spray CW recorded. Initial water accumulation (0 min) for dipped carcasses was not significantly different (P > 0.05) for carcasses hung by the leg (101.0 g) or wing (108.8 g). Following the 5 min drip time, 31 g of water remained on the carcasses hung by the leg and only 10 g on carcasses hung by the wing (P < 0.05). When carcasses were sprayed with water, initial water accumulation (0 min) was 62 g for carcasses hung by the legs and 60 g for carcasses hung by the wings (P > 0.05). Following the 5 min drip time, 1 g or no water remained on the sprayed carcasses (P > 0.05). Carcasses that were dipped and hung by a leg for 5 min retained significantly more water (31 g) than carcasses that were dipped and hung by a wing (10 g) or sprayed carcasses hung either way (0.3 g) (P < 0.05). Post-chill water dip resulted in significantly higher initial carcass water accumulation than spraying (105 g vs. 61 g, P < 0.05). Carcass orientation during dripping only affected the amount of retained water for dipped carcasses. Dipped carcasses hung by a leg have the highest potential for residual carcass antimicrobial solution carryover and sprayed carcasses hung by either orientation have the lowest potential for residual antimicrobial solution carryover.

Detection of Bacillus cereus on selected retail chicken products.

Samples from five chicken meat products, obtained at retail stores, were evaluated for the presence of Bacillus cereus. The products tested were as follows: breaded, fully cooked, frozen nuggets (NUGGETS); breaded, fully cooked, frozen tenders (TENDERS); fully cooked, frozen, white-meat fajita-style strips (STRIPS); raw, refrigerated, boneless, skinless, marinated breast fillets (FILLETS); and raw, refrigerated, cut-up, tray-pack bone-in parts (PARTS), either split breasts or thighs. Four packages of each item were obtained on three different days (n = 60). Frozen and refrigerated products were held overnight in their respective environments as appropriate; then packages were opened aseptically, and a total of 25 g of tissue was excised from multiple pieces within a package. The 25-g samples were enriched in 225 ml of Trypticase soy-polymixin broth for 18 to 24 h at 30 degrees C and then plated on mannitol-egg yolk-polymixin agar and incubated for 18 to 24 h at 30 degrees C. Colonies characteristic of B. cereus were chosen and replated for isolation on mannitol-egg yolk-polymixin agar. Suspect colonies were confirmed as Bacillus spp. by Gram stain, hemolysis on blood agar, and a biochemical test strip. Isolates were further confirmed as B. cereus using Bacteriological Analytical Manual procedures, including tests for motility, rhizoid growth, hemolysis, and protein toxin crystal production. B. cereus was detected in 27 of 60 total samples. By product, the prevalence levels were as follows: NUGGETS, 11 of 12 positive; TENDERS, 8 of 12 positive; STRIPS, 6 of 12 positive; FILLETS, 0 of 12 positive; and PARTS, 2 of 12 positive. Isolates were tested by PCR for presence of the toxin-encoding genes bceT, nheABC, hblACD, and cytK. Results indicate that B. cereus organisms were present on four of the five retail poultry products tested in this study, with the highest rates reported for the three fully cooked items, especially the two breaded products. All strains isolated contained the gene(s) for at least one of the toxins, although none of the strains contained the cytK gene.

Effect of intestinal content contamination on broiler carcass Campylobacter counts.

Intestinal contents may contaminate broiler carcasses during processing. The objective of this study was to determine what effect various levels of intestinal contents had on the numbers of Campylobacter detected in broiler carcass rinse samples. Eviscerated broiler carcasses were collected from the shackle line in a commercial processing plant immediately after passing through an inside/outside washer. Broiler carcasses were cut longitudinally into contralateral halves using a sanitized saw. Cecal contents from the same flock were collected, pooled, homogenized, and used to contaminate carcass halves. Paired carcass halves were divided into groups of eight each, and then cecal contents (2, 5, 10, 50, or 100 mg) were placed onto one randomly selected half of each carcass, while the corresponding half of the same broiler carcass received no cecal contents. Campylobacter counts from carcass halves with cecal contamination were compared to the uncontaminated halves of the same carcasses using a paired t test. Carcass halves with 5 mg or more of surface cecal contamination had significantly higher numbers of Campylobacter than those without (P < 0.01). Carcass halves contaminated with only 5 mg of cecal contents had an average of 3.3 log CFU Campylobacter per ml of rinse, while corresponding uncontaminated carcass halves had 2.6 log CFU Campylobacter per ml of rinse. These data indicate that even small (5 mg) amounts of cecal contents can cause a significant increase in the numbers of Campylobacter on eviscerated broiler carcasses. Therefore, it is important to keep such contamination to a minimum during processing.