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Title: Ultra-Violet Light Treatment Lowers Numbers of Listeria monocytogenes on Raw Chicken Fillets without Changing Antibiotic Resistance or Meat Color

Author
item Lyon, Steven
item Berrang, Mark
item FLETCHER, D - UNIVERSITY OF CONNETICUT
item Cray, Paula

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/21/2006
Publication Date: 1/22/2007
Citation: Lyon, S.A., Berrang, M.E., Fletcher, D.L., Cray, P.J. 2007. Ultra-Violet Light Treatment Lowers Numbers of Listeria monocytogenes on Raw Chicken Fillets without Changing Antibiotic Resistance or Meat Color. Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts. P.17 M51.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen and raw poultry meat has been shown to be a vector for its entrance into a poultry further-processing plant. Reduction of L. monocytogenes in these plants is a high priority for the industry. Ultra-violet (UV) light at a wavelength of 254 nm is called germicidal UV and can kill bacteria. This study was designed to test germicidal UV light as a means to lower L. monocytogenes counts on raw chicken meat prior to shipment from a slaughter plant to a further processing plant. Raw chicken breast fillets were inoculated with one of four subtypes of L. monocytogenes each with a different antibiotic resistance profile. Inoculated fillets were exposed to UV irradiation at 1,000 µW/cm2 for 5 min. Untreated control samples were maintained for comparison. All fillets were rinsed in physiologic saline and L. monocytogenes were enumerated by plating serial dilutions on modified oxford medium. UV treatment resulted in a 2 Log reduction in viable L. monocytogenes recovered from fillets. Antibiotic resistance profiles were determined using the broth micro-dilution method. UV irradiation did not alter the antibiotic resistance profiles of any of the 4 L. monocytogenes strains as compared to those isolated from non irradiated fillets. Likewise, UV treatment had no effect on meat color (lightness, redness, and yellowness) on the day of treatment or after 7 days of storage at 4°C. This study suggests that UV irradiation of raw breast fillets at a slaughter plant can significantly reduce L. monocytogenes without negatively affecting meat color or changing antibiotic resistance among the surviving population. UV treatment may be useful to reduce the negative impact of L. monocytogenes introduction into a poultry further-processing plant on raw poultry meat.