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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #371312
Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Effect of spraying sanitizer or cleaner at high pressure to remove bacteria from broiler carcasses: pre-scald vs post-scald

Author
item KOYUN, OSMAN - University Of Georgia
item Cosby, Douglas
item Mize, Susan
item MORTADA, MUHAMMAD - University Of Georgia
item DEVOLL, JOSHUA - Spraying Systems, Inc
item MCINTYRE, MIKE - Spraying Systems, Inc
item CALLAWAY, TODD - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/3/2019
Publication Date: 1/27/2020
Citation: Koyun, O.Y., Cosby, D.E., Mize, S.C., Mortada, M., Devoll, J., Mcintyre, M., Callaway, T.R. 2020. Effect of spraying sanitizer or cleaner at high pressure to remove bacteria from broiler carcasses: pre-scald vs post-scald [abstract]. International Poultry Scientific Forum.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Reducing the bacterial load on poultry carcasses in the slaughter area of processing plants can result in fewer bacteria entering the evisceration line. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a high pressure (approx. 175 psi), low volume, fluidic nozzle equipped wash cabinet spraying an ionized hypochlorous acid sanitizer (pH=5.21, temp=20.7', free Cl-=209), or an ionized sodium hydroxide cleaner (pH=11.94, temp=19.7') to remove bacteria from broiler carcasses. Three replications (n=20/replication) were conducted on three separate dates. Carcasses (n=60 in total) were collected from either pre-scald or post-scald of a slaughter line of a local plant, individually bagged and transported back in a cooler to a pilot plant. Carcasses (n=5 for pre-scald and post-scald carcasses each date, respectively) were rehung in standard shackles and breast swab samples were collected (i.e. breast/keel bone area was swabbed using a pre-moistened cellulose sponge kept in Whirl-Pak® sampling bags) and subsequently washed with either the cleaner or sanitizer (treatments: pre-scald+cleaner=T1, post-scald+cleaner=T2, pre-scald+sanitizer=T3, and post-scald+sanitizer=T4). After wash, each carcass was sampled again in a same manner as above to provide paired pre- and post- wash samples, which were placed on ice and transported to the laboratory. Buffered peptone (10 mL) of was added to each swab sample, stomached for 60s, and then serially diluted and plated onto total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), and E. coli (EC) PetriFilm® cards which were incubated at 37oC for 24 h. Paired sample t-test (p<0.05) was used for statistical analysis. Reductions were generally < 1 log10 cfm/ml except in T3, which had a 1.15 log10 reduction (p<0.05) in TAB counts. T2 and T4 lowered (p<0.05) counts of TAB. The counts for EB were reduced (p<0.05) only by the effects of T3 and T4. EC counts were decreased (p<0.05) by all treatments compared to their corresponding pre-wash counts. Results indicate that using either the sanitizer or the cleaner solutions in a pressurized wash cabinet might be an effective method to remove bacteria from carcasses at pre- or post-scald lines of plants, leading to fewer bacteria entering the evisceration line.