Microbiological quality of broiler carcasses during processing in two slaughterhouses in Turkey.

The effect of processing procedures on the microbial quality and safety of broiler carcasses was investigated in 2 processing plants. Neck skin samples were taken from broilers at the main stages of processing and changes in total viable count (TVC) and in the counts of Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Staphylococci/Micrococci were monitored. Processing reduced TVC more than 2 log cycles for the 2 processing plants investigated. The counts of Coliform bacteria decreased from 5.35 to 3.99 log cfu/g, Enterobacteriaceae from 5.36 to 3.81 log cfu/g, and Staphylococci/Micrococci from 6.90 to 4.11 log cfu/g for the first processing plant. The counts of Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Staphylococci/Micrococci were reduced from 5.67 to 3.92 log cfu/g, from 5.75 to 3.91 log cfu/g, and from 6.85 to 3.94 log cfu/g, respectively, by processing in the second plant. Cross-contamination with Salmonella spp. during processing was observed and the incidences of Salmonella spp. on the carcasses increased from 40 to 60% and from 33.3 to 40% during processing at plants 1 and 2, respectively. The incidences of Salmonella spp. in all broilers (n = 90 carcasses for each plant) were 36.6 and 31.1% at plants 1 and 2, respectively. Although a high proportion of microorganisms were removed from carcasses during processing, dissemination of Salmonella spp. was found to be unavoidable.

Broiler stunning and meat quality.

The effects of electrical and concussion stunning on meat and carcass quality of broilers were compared. Broiler chickens (n = 165) were subjected to treatments: 1) electrical stunning with no fibrillation, 2) electrical stunning with fibrillation, 3) concussion stunning with restraint, or 4) concussion stunning with no restraint. Electrical stunning (100 V, 80 mA, 50 Hz sinusoidal waveform alternating current) was applied for 3 s. Concussion was applied using a nonpenetrative captive bolt gun with or without restraint. We assessed broken bones, hemorrhages, meat quality defects, blood loss, pH at 10 min and 24 h, and texture from breasts filleted 3 h and 24 h postmortem. Electrically stunned birds showed a significantly higher incidence of broken bones (P < 0.0001), coracoid and furculum bone hemorrhages (P < 0.0001), and nonbone hemorrhages (P < 0.0001) than birds stunned by concussion. However, the incidence of red wing tips (P < 0.005) and shoulder hemorrhages was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in concussion-stunned birds than electrically stunned birds. Electrically stunned and nonfibrillated birds had the fastest blood loss rate. The pH value at 10 min was the lowest in concussion-stunned and unrestrained birds. Breast muscles from concussion-stunned birds that were filleted at 3 h postmortem were more tender than those from birds stunned electrically (P < 0.05). We concluded that concussion stunning could be advantageous for early filleting.

Non-uniformity of surface temperatures after microwave heating of poultry meat.

Microwave energy has the potential to raise the surface temperatures of meat rapidly for a short period of time sufficient to reduce bacterial numbers significantly without causing physical changes to the meat. Studies have investigated the ability of a standard domestic microwave oven (2450 MHz; IEC 1191 W), an experimental repeatable microwave cavity (2450 MHz; IEC 1139 W) and a number of shielding techniques to achieve uniform surface temperature distributions on pieces of poultry meat. In the domestic oven temperature differences of up to 60 and 80 degrees C were found between different points on the surface of the same sample after 30 s and 3 minutes of heating respectively. The use of a standard cavity and shielding resulted in a difference of less than 5 degrees C between the average surface temperature on the edge and middle of regular slabs of chicken after 30 s exposure. Results show that microwave heating, using 2450 MHz, is unlikely to produce consistently uniform enough surface temperatures on meat to reduce bacterial numbers without surface damage.

Isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility of Aeromonas salmonicida in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in turkey hatchery farms.

Three Aeromonas salmonicida strains were isolated from the livers of 265 rainbow trouts sampled. The antibiotic susceptibility test results showed that A. salmonicida strains were susceptible to streptomycine and ciprofloxacin. However, they were resistant to amoxycilline + clavulanic acid, penicillin, erythromycine, oxytetracycline and cefuroxime sodium.