Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402822

Research Project: Multi-hurdle Approaches for Controlling Foodborne Pathogens in Poultry

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Effect of plant-derived antimicrobials, eugenol, carvacrol, and ß-resorcylic acid against Salmonella on organic chicken wings and carcasses

Author
item NAIR, D - University Of Minnesota
item MANJANKATTIL, S - University Of Minnesota
item PEICHEL, C - University Of Minnesota
item MARTIN, W - University Of Minnesota
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item VENKITANARAYANAN, K - University Of Connecticut
item JOHNY, A - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2023
Publication Date: 10/1/2023
Citation: Nair, D., Manjankattil, S., Peichel, C., Martin, W., Donoghue, A.M., Venkitanarayanan, K., Johny, A.K. 2023. Effect of plant-derived antimicrobials, eugenol, carvacrol, and ß-resorcylic acid against Salmonella on organic chicken wings and carcasses. Poultry Science. 102(10). Article 102866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102886.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102886

Interpretive Summary: Organic poultry constitutes a sizeable segment of the American organic commodities market. However, processors have limited strategies that are safe, effective, and approved for improving the microbiological safety of organic poultry products. In this study, the efficacy of three plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs), eugenol (EG), carvacrol (CR), and ß-resorcylic acid (BR) was evaluated against Salmonella on organic chicken wings and broiler carcasses. Wings inoculated with Salmonella were treated with or without the treatments [BR (0.5%, 1%), EG (0.5%, 1%), CR (0.5%, 1%), chlorine (CL; 200 ppm), or peracetic acid (PA; 200 ppm)] applied for 2 min at 54oC (for scalding study) or 30 min at 4oC (chilling study). Homogenates and treatment water were evaluated for surviving Salmonella. Six wings or carcasses per treatment were analyzed in each study. All treatments, except CL and 0.5% BR in the scalding study, yielded significant reductions of Salmonella on wings compared to PC. To follow, whole carcasses inoculated with Salmonella [higher inoculum or lower inoculum and immersed in antimicrobial treatments [CR 1% and industry controls (CL (200 ppm), or PA (200 ppm)] for 30 min at 4oC were stored at 4oC until analysis. For the higher inoculum study, 1% CR resulted in 3.9 log10 CFU/g reduction of Salmonella on the carcass on d 0 compared to PC (P<0.05); however, CL yielded no reduction. On d 3, CR and PAA resulted in a log reduction of Salmonella. For the lower inoculum study, consistent Salmonella reductions were obtained with CR and PAA on d 0 and 7. High reductions of Salmonella in processing water were obtained in all studies. Results indicated that CR effectively controls Salmonella contamination on chicken wings, carcasses, and in processing water, underscoring its application in organic chicken processing. However, follow up studies on the organoletptic characteristics of PDA-treated chicken carcasses are needed.

Technical Abstract: Organic poultry constitutes a sizeable segment of the American organic commodities market. However, processors have limited strategies that are safe, effective, and approved for improving the microbiological safety of organic poultry products. In this study, the efficacy of three plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs), eugenol (EG), carvacrol (CR), and ß-resorcylic acid (BR) was evaluated against Salmonella on organic chicken wings and broiler carcasses. Wings inoculated with Salmonella (6 log10 CFU/wing) were treated with or without the treatments [BR (0.5%, 1%), EG (0.5%, 1%), CR (0.5%, 1%), chlorine (CL; 200 ppm), or peracetic acid (PA; 200 ppm)] applied for 2 min at 54oC (for scalding study) or 30 min at 4oC (chilling study). Homogenates and treatment water were evaluated for surviving Salmonella. Six wings or carcasses per treatment were analyzed in each study. All treatments, except CL and 0.5% BR in the scalding study, yielded significant reductions of Salmonella on wings compared to PC. To follow, whole carcasses inoculated with Salmonella [higher inoculum (106 CFU/carcass) or lower inoculum (104 CFU/carcass)] and immersed in antimicrobial treatments [CR 1% (v/v) and industry controls (CL (200 ppm), or PA (200 ppm)] for 30 min at 4oC were stored at 4oC until analysis. For the higher inoculum study, 1% CR resulted in 3.9 log10 CFU/g reduction of Salmonella on the carcass on d 0 compared to PC (P<0.05); however, CL yielded no reduction. On d 3, CR and PAA resulted in a log reduction of Salmonella (P<0.05). For the lower inoculum study, consistent Salmonella reductions were obtained with CR and PAA (1.4 to 2.1 log10 CFU/g) on d 0 and 7. High reductions of Salmonella in processing water were obtained in all studies. Results indicated that CR effectively controls Salmonella contamination on chicken wings, carcasses, and in processing water, underscoring its application in organic chicken processing. However, follow up studies on the organoletptic characteristics of PDA-treated chicken carcasses are needed.