Gk. Kemp et al., Continuous online processing of fecal- and ingesta- contaminated poultry carcasses using an acidified sodium chlorite antimicrobial intervention, J FOOD PROT, 64(6), 2001, pp. 807-812
The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the combi
ned use of an inside-outside-bird-washer for the removal of visible contami
nation and an online acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) spray system in reduci
ng microbial levels on contaminated poultry carcasses. Specifically, we att
empted to determine if this technique (referred to as continuous online pro
cessing [COP]) would (i) eliminate the need for offline reprocessing of con
taminated carcasses, (ii) meet Zero Fecal Tolerance standards, and (iii) at
tain significant reductions in titers of some of the commonly found bacteri
al species. Carcasses were sampled for Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Ca
mpylobacter at five stations along the processing lines in a series of five
commercial giant studies to compare the efficacy of the COP system to that
of offline processing. The microbiological quality of fecally contaminated
carcasses was found to be significantly better following COP treatment (E,
coli, 0.59 log(10) CFU/ml; Salmonella, 10.0% incidence) than after standar
d offline reprocessing (E. coli, 2.37 log(10) CFU/mL; Salmonella, 31.6% inc
idence). Zero Fecal Tolerance requirements were met by all but 2 (0.2%) of
the 1,127 carcasses following COP. COP also significantly reduced the titer
s of Campylobacter; residual titers were 1.14 log(10) CFU/ml (49.1% inciden
ce) following COP, compared to 2.89 log(10) CFU/ml (73.2% incidence) in car
casses that underwent offline reprocessing. These results support the combi
ned use of an inside-outside-bird-washer for the removal of visible contami
nation and an online ASC spray system to reduce microbial levels in commerc
ially processed poultry.