Continuous online processing of fecal- and ingesta- contaminated poultry carcasses using an acidified sodium chlorite antimicrobial intervention

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.