Bacteriological quality assurance (BQA) of mechanically deboned meat (MDM)

The Prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter on Broiler Meat at Different Stages of Commercial Poultry Processing

In poultry processing, Salmonella and Campylobacter contaminations are major food safety concerns. Peracetic acid (PAA) is an antimicrobial commonly used in commercial poultry processing to reduce pathogen prevalence so as to meet the USDA-FSIS performance standards. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter on broiler meat in various steps of commercial poultry processing in plants that use PAA. Post-pick, pre-chill, post-chill, and drumstick chicken samples were collected from three processing plants and mechanically deboned meat (MDM) was collected from two of the three plants. Each plant was sampled thrice, and 10 samples were collected from each processing step during each visit. Among the 420 samples, 79 were contaminated with Salmonella and 155 were contaminated with Campylobacter. Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination on the post-pick samples averaged 32.2%. Significant reductions in Salmonella and Campylobacter were observed in pre-chill to post-chill samples, where the prevalence was reduced from 34% and 64.4% to nondetectable limits and 1.1%, respectively (p < 0.001). Salmonella and Campylobacter remained undetectable on the drumstick samples in all three processing plants. However, the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter on MDM was similar to the post-pick prevalence, which suggests substantial cross-contamination from post-chill to MDM.

The effect of selected lactic acid bacterial strains on the technological and microbiological quality of mechanically separated poultry meat cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite

The aim of the research was to estimate the effect of selected lactic acid bacterial strains on the technological quality and microbiological stability of mechanically separated poultry meat (MSPM) cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite. The 5 different treatments of MSPM batters were prepared: C150 - control cured with sodium nitrite at 150 mg/kg, C50 - control cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg, PL1 - cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated Lactobacillus plantarum SCH1 at about 107 cfu/g, PL2 - cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated Lactobacillus brevis KL5 at about 107 cfu/g, and PL3 - cured sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated L. plantarum S21 at about 107 cfu/g. The MSPM batters were tested at 1, 4 and 7 d of being in refrigerated storage. The scope of the research was as follows - physicochemical determinations: pH and redox, nitrates and nitrites as well as nitrosyl pigments levels, color estimation with a Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage Lab system and microbiological determinations: the total viable counts, the mesophilic lactic acid bacteria counts, Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae counts. The inhibitory effect of L. plantarum SCH1 isolated from the ecological raw fermented meat product on E. coli in cured MSPM batters during refrigerated storage was proved (P < 0.05). The use of lactic acid bacterial strains in cured batters that were prepared and based on mechanically separated poultry meat did not have a negative effect on their technological quality. The positive effect of L. brevis KL5 on the level of nitrosyl pigments in the cured MSPM batters was observed (P < 0.05). The conducted research suggested the possibility of using the selected bacterial strains of the Lactobacillus genus to improve the microbiological quality of MSPM cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite.