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Title: EFFECT OF PRE CHILL SKINNING ON THE LEVEL OF CAMPYLOBACTER RECOVERED FROM BROILER PARTS

Author
item Berrang, Mark
item Ladely, Scott

Submitted to: International Association of Milk Food and Environmental Sanitarians
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2000
Publication Date: 8/1/2000
Citation: BERRANG, M.E., LADELY, S.R. EFFECT OF PRE CHILL SKINNING ON THE LEVEL OF CAMPYLOBACTER RECOVERED FROM BROILER PARTS. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MILK FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITARIANS. 2000.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Broiler skin carries a high number of bacteria. Nevertheless, it has been reported that, with retail product, neither skinless parts nor aseptically skinned parts carry less bacteria than paired parts with skin. This study was undertaken to determine if aseptic removal of skin prior to the carcass entering the chill tank has an effect on the microbiological quality of pre-chill broiler parts. Carcasses were removed from the shackles immediately before entering the chill tank in a commercial processing plant. Each carcass was aseptically cut into parts: legs, thighs and boneless breast. One of each part from each carcass was skinned and the other was left with the skin on for comparison. Each part was rinsed in 50 ml PBS, skin that was removed was stomached. Dilutions were plated for enumeration of Campylobacter, coliforms, E. coli and total aerobic bacteria. Five replications were completed using 2 of each part with and without skin per replication. Significantly less Campylobacter was recovered from product that had been skinned: 1.2 log10 cfu/100g reduction for breast, 1.4 log10 cfu/100g reduction for thigh and 0.5 log10 cfu/100g reduction for legs. Skin that had been removed from these parts was found to have Campylobacter levels ranging from log10 3.6 to 3.9 cfu per piece. Coliform counts and total counts were also lower on parts that were skinned. Skinning product prior to chilling could lead to less Campylobacter and other bacteria on the final product.