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Title: EFFICACY OF PROTECTA TWO, AN HERBAL EXTRACT, AT VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS ON THE MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BROILER CARCASSES DURING SIMULATED CHILLING

Author
item Dickens, James
item Ingram, Kimberly

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2000
Publication Date: 10/1/2001
Citation: DICKENS, J.A., INGRAM, K.D. EFFICACY OF PROTECTA TWO, AN HERBAL EXTRACT, AT VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS ON THE MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BROILER CARCASSES DURING SIMULATED CHILLING. JOURNAL OF APPLIED POULTRY RESEARCH. 2001.

Interpretive Summary: Chicken carcasses are routinely passed through a cold water bath as the final step in processing poultry to lower the carcass temperature as required by regulation to reduce bacterial growth. Prior research has shown that this process lowers bacterial counts on the carcasses but may increase the cross-contamination of the carcasses by organisms harmful to the consumer. The objective of this research was to test the efficacy of a natural herbal extract on the microbiological quality of processed broiler carcasses. The herbal extract is a compound of natural herbs on a salt carrier that is generally recognized as safe. This compound was added to the chiller water at concentrations of 0.5 and 1% and fresh processed carcasses were chilled for 30 min. After chilling in either water or in the herbal extract bacterial counts were recorded for total aerobic organisms, E coli, coliforms, and Campylobacter. All bacteria were reduced by the water only chill, but carcasses chilled in the herbal extract at 0.5 and 1% were significantly reduced beyond the water only treatment. The commercial use of this product could result in a safer product reaching the consumer and increase the export markets that now have pending legislation to reduce imports from the United States due to the replacement of chemicals currently being used. Although not economically feasible under the conditions of this research, further research should produce an acceptable method of application.

Technical Abstract: Bacterial contamination of raw processed poultry continues to be of concern to consumers, as well as regulatory and health officials. For the past 40 yr scientists have been working on suitable and acceptable decontamination methods to reduce human enteropathogens from raw processed meat and poultry products. Protecta Two, an herbal extract on a sodium chloride carrier, was evaluated in a 30 min 1 C simulated chill for its effectiveness in lowering microbial counts on broiler carcasses. Broiler carcasses were obtained from a local processing plant after final wash and before chill, placed into an insulated container and transported to the research facility for treatment. Six plant run controls (PRC) were immediately bagged on return to the pilot plant, and a whole carcass rinse was performed. The remaining carcasses were subjected to either a 30 min chill (1C) in tap water, a 1%, or a 0.5 % solution of Protecta Two. After treatment, carcasses were rinsed with tap water to neutralize the treatment solution then subjected to the whole carcass rinse procedure. All rinse diluents were analyzed for total aerobes, coliforms, Campylobacter, and E. coli. Plant run control carcasses had counts of 3.7, 2.4, 1.5, and 2.0 log10 cfu/ml respectively. The water treatment significantly (P<.05) reduced counts (2.3, 1.1, 0.4, 0.5 log10 cfu/ml respectively) when compared to the PRCs. The 0.5% Protecta Two treatment significantly reduced counts even further (P<.01) to counts of 1.7, 0.5, 0, and 0.1 log10 cfu/ml for total aerobes, coliforms, Campylobacter, and E. coli respectively. The 1% Protecta Two treatment reduced counts further but, but the reductions were not statistically significant.