D- and z-values of Salmonella in ground chicken breast meat

The heat resistance of a Salmonella composite of serotypes Typhimurium, Ent eritidis, Montevideo, Mbandaka, Heidelberg and Thompson was evaluated in gr ound chicken breast meat using an end-point procedure in pouches. A 70 proc ess for Salmonella in chicken was approximately 3 s at 160F (71.1C) with a z-value of 10.3F (5.7C). The data presented here may help cooked chicken pr oducts manufacturers design safe processes that meet the USDA Food Safety a nd Inspection Sen,ice performance standard.