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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330659
Research Project: Antibiotic Alternatives for Controlling Foodborne Pathogens and Disease in Poultry

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Eugenol wash and chitosan based coating reduces Campylobacter jejuni counts on poultry products

Author
item WAGLE, BASANTA - University Of Arkansas
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item ARSI, KOMALA - University Of Arkansas
item UPADHYAY, ABHINAV - University Of Arkansas
item SANDIP, SHRESTHA - University Of Arkansas
item BLORE, PAM - University Of Arkansas
item VENKITANARAYANAN, KUMAR - University Of Arkansas
item DONOGHUE, DAN - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter, a leading cause of foodborne illness globally in humans, is strongly associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry products. Unfortunately, current strategies to reduce Campylobacter counts in poultry have had limited success. Our study investigated the efficacy of eugenol (EG), a generally recognized as safe compound derived from cloves, as an antimicrobial dip and coating to reduce Campylobacter in post-harvest poultry. In the first two trials, skin samples were inoculated with a mixture of four wild strains of Campylobacter jejuni (~106 CFU/sample) and allowed to adhere for 30 min. Inoculated skin samples were dipped in treatment solutions (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2% EG) for 1 min, drip dried for 2 min and then processed at 0, 8, and 24 h (n=5 samples/treatment/time point). For this and subsequent trials, Campylobacter counts were logarithmic transformed and data were analyzed by the PROC GLM procedure of SAS. In both skin trials, the 1% and 2% EG doses reduced Campylobacter counts by 2 and 3 Log CFU/sample respectively across all time points. In follow-up trials, doses of EG with or without chitosan were evaluated on wingettes. Inoculated wingettes were randomly assigned to controls, EG (0.5, 1 or 2%), chitosan (2% CH) or their combinations in two separate trials. Following 1 min of coating with the given treatments, wingettes were air dried for 1 h and sampled at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days for Campylobacter and aerobic counts (n=5 wingettes/treatment/day). The 2% EG, 2% CH and the combination of either 0.5% or 1% or 2% EG plus 2% CH significantly reduced both Campylobacter and aerobic counts from day 0 through day 7. The 2% EG and 2% CH combination produced a greater reductions than 2% CH across all days (P<0.05). These studies demonstrate the potential of EG as a post-harvest intervention against Campylobacter contamination.