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Title: INCIDENCE OF SALMONELLA ON WHOLE BROILER CARCASSES OBTAINED FROM RETAIL OUTLETS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA

Author
item SIMMONS, M - UGA
item FLETCHER, D. - UGA
item Berrang, Mark
item Cason Jr, John

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2002
Publication Date: 7/1/2002
Citation: Simmons, M., Fletcher, D.L., Berrang, M.E., Cason Jr, J.A. 2002. Incidence of salmonella on whole broiler carcasses obtained from retail outlets in northeast georgia. [abstract] Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Whole, fresh broiler carcasses were purchased from grocery stores in the Northeast Georgia area over a 20-week period. Carcasses were selected based on intact packages, processing establishments (USDA plant numbers), and sell-by-dates, so that each bird came from a sealed package and represented a single plant and processing day combination. All carcasses were purchased on a Monday or Tuesday morning to ensure that birds that were at least two to three days post-processing. Carcasses were aseptically removed from packages, giblets removed, and the carcasses were placed in sterile bags containing 500 ml of buffered peptone, shaken, and then incubated in the rinse liquid for 24 h at 37 C. After 24 hours, 0.5 ml of the incubated rinse solution was placed into 10 ml each of Rappaport-Vassiliadis and tetrathionate (Hajna)(TT) broth and incubated at 42 C for 24 h. Each broth was then streaked onto brilliant green sulfa(BGS) and modified lysine iron agar (MLIA) media, and incubated for 24 h at 35 C. Suspect Salmonella colonies were inoculated on triple sugar iron (TSI) and lysine iron agar (LIA) slants and incubated at 35 C for 24 h. Presumptive positives were confirmed using Poly O and Poly H agglutination tests. Based on the number of unique establishments and expiration dates, the number of birds available each week ranged from 6 to 17. Over the 20 week period, 251 independent carcasses from 14 establishments were evaluated. Salmonella-positive carcasses ranged from 0 (for one week) to over 60% (for three weeks). Only four of the 20 weeks had an incidence of less than 20% positive carcasses. For the entire 20-week study, 85 of the 251 total carcasses tested, or 33.9%, were found to be Salmonella positive.