Preventing Campylobacter contamination of broiler carcasses in chilling tanks

Abstract

Pathogenic Campylobacter strains, such as C. jejuni and C. coli , are widespread in the intestinal ecosystem of birds, including poultry and many wild species. Raw poultry meat can be heavily contaminated with Campylobacter , including pathogenic strains. The carriage rate of Campylobacter bacteria in poultry reaches 90%, making poultry meat the primary source of foodborne campylobacteriosis. During primary poultry processing, defeathering and evisceration processes lead to the release or leakage of intestinal contents, particularly from the crop and intestines, inadvertently creating conditions favourable for cross-contamination of other carcasses with Campylobacter species. Therefore, reducing the incidence of bacterial foodborne toxic infections and poisoning in humans requires the introduction of modern technologies to reduce the level of Campylobacter contamination in poultry products. In this context, studies were conducted to develop a method for preventing cross-contamination of poultry carcasses with Campylobacter bacteria during water chilling. The antimicrobial properties of a technological processing aid (TPA) containing 15 ± 2% peracetic acid and 18 ± 2% hydrogen peroxide were investigated with a 25-minute exposure. C. jejuni was used as the test culture. Sampling, microbiological, organoleptic, and physicochemical analyses were performed according to standard methods. It was established that the use of 0.03% TPA solutions for carcass chilling inactivates C. jejuni in the cooling medium and prevents cross-contamination of carcasses. TPA solutions at 0.1% concentration reduced the total viable count (TVC), prevented cross-contamination, and inactivated C. jejuni on the carcass surface. Broiler carcasses chilled in 0.1% TPA solution met the physicochemical and organoleptic requirements of GOST 31962‑2013. Compared with the control, the treated carcasses exhibited a paler colour of both the surface and the internal fat.