USE OF A NEWLY DEVELOPED RAPID MICROBIAL ATP BIOLUMINESCENCE ASSAY TODETECT MICROBIAL-CONTAMINATION ON POULTRY CARCASSES

A newly developed rapid microbial ATP bioluminescence test (R-mATP) wa s shown to be an adequate means to assay the microbial load of poultry carcasses. This assay utilizes differential extraction and filtration to separate somatic from microbial ATP in a very rapid timeframe. The assay requires approximately 5 min to complete; approximately 3.5 min to sample and 90 s analytical time. Correlation coefficient (r) betwe en aerobic colony counts and R-mATP test results (n=329) was 0.82. Pos t-test probabilities to correctly classify carcasses with different le vels of microbial contamination were as high as 98% for samples of gre ater than or equal to 3.5 log aerobic CFU per ml. Given the rapidity o f this assay, the R-mATP holds potential for monitoring the microbial load of carcasses at poultry-processing critical control points. Other potential applications of this new version of the microbial ATP biolu minescence test are discussed. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.