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Title: AN EVALUATION OF ON-LINE "REPROCESSING" ON VISUAL CONTAMINATION AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BROILERS

Author
item Arnold, Judy
item FLETHCHER, D. - UNIVERSITY OF GA
item CRAIG, E. - UNIVERSITY OF GA

Submitted to: Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Recent advances in equipment design, including more efficient inside/outside bird washers, have been proposed as being effective in reducing visible contamination of broiler carcasses during processing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of such a system on visible contamination and microbiological quality of broilers identified by visual inspection as being contaminated. The broilers were allowed to proceed on-line (on-line "reprocessing") through the system of evisceration and inside/outside bird washing as opposed to being removed for off-line reprocessing. Results indicated that, based on visual scores, the on-line processing reduced the need for off-line reprocessing by 73 to 84 per cent. There were no significant effects of treatment on aerobic plate counts, or counts for Campylobacter, Salmonella, or coliforms. These results indicated that on-line processing of visually contaminated carcasses could greatly reduce the number of carcasses currently being subjected to off-line reprocessing without negative effects on bacterial total counts or presence of pathogenic organisms.

Technical Abstract: Recent advances in equipment design, including more efficient inside/outside bird washers, have been proposed as being more effective in reducing visible contamination during processing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate such a system on the occurrence of visible contamination and microbiological quality of broilers identified as being visually contaminated but allowed to proceed on-line (on-line "reprocessing") through evisceration and inside/outside bird washing as opposed to being removed for off-line reprocessing. Results indicated that based on visual scores, the on-line processing reduced the need for off-line reprocessing by 73 to 84 per cent. The incidence for either Salmonella or Campylobacter were not affected by treatment. There were no significant effects of treatment on aerobic plate counts, Campylobacter number or Coliforms. These results indicated that on-line processing of visually contaminated carcasses could greatly reduce the number of carcasses currently being subjected to off-line reprocessing without negative effects on bacterial total counts or presence of pathogenic organisms.