ATTACHMENT OF SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM TO SKINS OF TURKEY THAT HAD BEENDEFEATHERED THROUGH 3 DIFFERENT SYSTEMS - SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION

Attachment of Salmonella typhimurium to the skin of turkeys that had b een processed through three different defeathering systems (convention al, kosher, and steam-spray) was examined at varying incubation times (10 approximately 60 min) using scanning electron microscopy. The exte nt of attachment varied with the type of defeathering method and incre ased with incubation time. Conventional and kosher skins showed slow r ate of attachment, whereas steam-spray skin allowed a sharp increase o f attachment, due to the collagenous connective tissue of dermis expos ed during processing. Exposed dermis in kosher skin revealed the very adhesive properties of dermis. Attachment fibrils appeared as incubati on time increased. Cells on steam-spray skin produced a considerable a mount of long, thin fibrils connecting them to each other and to the s kin after 30 min of incubation. While a few thick and short attachment fibrils were observed in conventional skin, no fibrils were detected in kosher skin. The high number of attached cells and the greatest amo unt of fibril formation on the surface of steam-spray skin suggest the positive relationship between bacterial attachment and fibril formati on. Depressions produced by attached cells were observed in convention al skin surface, but not in kosher skin, probably due to the fatty and pliable properties of conventional skin. Pits, observed only on the s urface of steam-spray skin, reflected the weak property of basal membr ane covering the dermis. The above results suggest that exposing dermi s is undesirable for reducing bacterial attachment during poultry proc essing.