The role of visible faecal material as a vehicle for generic Escherichia coli, coliform, and other enterobacteria contaminating poultry carcasses during slaughtering

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology 2003-01, Vol.95 (3), p.451-456
• Main Authors: Jiménez, S.M., Tiburzi, M.C., Salsi, M.S., Pirovani, M.E., Moguilevsky, M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abattoirs; Animals; Bile - microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Chickens - microbiology; coliform; Colony Count, Microbial; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Feces - microbiology; Food Handling - methods; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Meat and meat product industries; poultry; slaughtering process; visible faecal contamination
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2672.2003.01993.x

Aims: A comparison of Enterobacteriaceae, coliform and Escherichia coli counts in chicken carcasses with and without visible faecal contamination was conducted to evaluate the role of contamination as a vehicle for generic E. coli, coliform and other enterobacteria contaminating broiler chicken carcasses when processed under routine commercial operations. Methods and Results: Samples were removed from the processing line immediately after evisceration, inside–outside shower and chilling for microbiological analysis. After evisceration, mean counts were significantly different only for E. coli (P ≤ 0·05) in chicken carcasses with and without visible faecal contamination. While the spray wash practice was not efficient enough for complete removal of the visible contamination from carcasses, leading to microbiological reduction percentages lower than expected, 25 ppm chlorinated water chilling did reduce the contamination level considerably in all samples. Conclusions: Carcasses with and without visible faecal contamination harboured E. coli and other potentially hazardous enterobacteria. E. coli was the predominant strain isolated in all samples, Enterobacter cloacae being next most frequent. Significance and Impact of the Study: The zero tolerance of visible faecal contamination requirement alone is not sufficient to assure safety and to improve the microbial quality of carcasses.