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Title: Effect of various concentrations of potassium hydroxide and lauric acid on native bacterial flora of broiler carcasses

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Northcutt, Julie
item Cason Jr, John
item Smith, Douglas
item Ingram, Kimberly

Submitted to: Poultry Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2007
Publication Date: 7/8/2007
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Northcutt, J.K., Cason Jr, J.A., Smith, D.P., Ingram, K.D. 2007. Effect of various concentrations of potassium hydroxide and lauric acid on native bacterial flora of broiler carcasses [abstract]. Poultry Science Meeting. Poultry Science. 86(Suppl.1):383.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experiments were conducted to determine the bactericidal effect of various concentrations of potassium hydroxide (KOH)-lauric acid (LA) solutions on the native bacterial flora of broiler carcasses. A mixture of 1.0% KOH and 2.0% LA (wt/vol) was prepared, and then filter sterilized by passage through 0.2 'm filters. The 1.0% KOH-2.0 % LA solution was diluted with sterile distilled water to prepare solutions of 0.25% KOH-0.5% LA and 0.5% KOH-1.0% LA. Eviscerated carcasses were washed twice in solutions of different concentrations of KOH-LA or in distilled water (control) by shaking carcasses in 400 mL of the liquids for 1 min. Following each wash, a whole-carcass-rinse (WCR) was performed using 400 mL Butterfield’s phosphate buffer. Total plate count bacteria (TPC), Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli in the native bacterial flora were enumerated by culturing rinsates on Plate Count Agar, Campylobacter Agar, and 3M Petrifilm E. coli/Coliform Count Plates, respectively. Results indicated that significantly fewer TPC bacteria were recovered from carcasses washed in either concentration of KOH-LA than from carcasses washed in distilled water; however, there was no significant difference in the number of bacteria recovered from carcasses washed in different concentrations of KOH-LA. While log 3.45 cfu/mL were recovered from carcasses washed in water, only log 1.43 cfu/mL were recovered from carcasses washed in 1.0% KOH-2.0 %. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the number of Campylobacter recovered from carcasses washed in water or 0.25% KOH-0.50% LA, but no Campylobacter were recovered from carcasses washed in 0.50% KOH-1.00% LA or 1.00% KOH-2.00% LA. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the number of E. coli recovered from carcasses washed in water, 0.25% KOH-0.50% LA, or 0.50% KOH-1.00% LA, but no E. coli were recovered from carcasses washed in 1.0% KOH-2.0 % LA. Findings from these experiments indicate that although washing carcasses in solutions of KOH-LA can significantly reduce bacterial contamination of broiler on carcasses, bactericidal effect of solutions is related to the concentration KOH-LA used.