SHORT-TIME TREATMENT WITH ALKALI AND OR HOT-WATER TO REMOVE COMMON PATHOGENIC AND SPOILAGE BACTERIA FROM CHICKEN WING SKIN/

Dipping in 10% trisodium phosphate (TSP) at 10 degrees C for 15 s and/ or hot water (95 degrees C) for 5 a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced t he numbers of live Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus inoculated on the surface of chicken wings. Mea n reductions after treatment with TSP (after storage at 10 degrees C o r 4 degrees C, respectively) were 93.45% and 62.42% for S. typhimurium , 80.33% and 54.45% for S. aureus, and 39.04% and 81.41% for L. monocy togenes. Similarly treatment with hot water resulted in reductions of 83.5% and 47.44%, 90.19% and 91.49%, and 68.57% and 77.83%, respective ly, for the three bacterial species. The combined effects of TSP and h ot water were 94.76% and 99.67%, 84.41% and 96.68%, and 79.49% and 94. 88%. After treatment with TSP, there was always a better recovery of L . monocytogenes when the wings were stored at 10 degrees C compared to 4 degrees C. No similar storage temperature effect on recovery of L. monocytogenes was observed in the absence of TSP. Based on the smell a nd appearance of uninoculated, fresh chicken wings after treatment wit h 10% solutions of TSP or Na2CO3 (10 degrees C) and hot water, the con trol group was always preferred after 1 day of storage, but not after 6 days of storage. Combination treatment with TSP and hot water showed that after 7 days of storage the number of spoilage organisms was 3 l og units higher on the control samples than on the treated wings. The combined TSP and hot water treatments were more effective in reducing counts of S. typhimurium, S. aureus, and L. monocytogenes than the com bined Na2CO3 and hot water treatment (95 degrees C for 5 s). Changes i n subcutaneous temperature as a result of treatment with TSP and hot w ater treatment were minimal.