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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #242891
Title: Effects of litter amendments on broiler growth characteristics and Salmonella colonization in the crop and cecum

Author
item LARRISON, ERYN - Texas A&M University
item Byrd Ii, James - Allen
item DAVIS, MICHAEL - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2010
Publication Date: 6/1/2010
Citation: Larrison, E.M., Byrd II, J.A., Davis, M.A. 2010. Effects of litter amendments on broiler growth characteristics and Salmonella colonization in the crop and cecum. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 19:132–136.

Interpretive Summary: Food safety is a major issue for the poultry industry. Each year an estimated 76 million Americans become ill from consuming foods contaminated with bacteria and their toxins. Many treatments, including chemical antimicrobials and the use of existing inspection programs, have been used in poultry processing operations. These strategies have led to a decrease in the number of Salmonella on broiler carcasses. However, there is a lack of reports on strategies that can be used in the chicken houses that could, if successful, reduce the pathogen load entering the processing plant. This reduction could lower the costs of operation and may reduce the spread within the processing environment. Compounds put on the chicken litter consisting of various formulations have been proposed as a strategy to decrease the number of food poisoning bacteria entering the slaughter plant from the chicken house.

Technical Abstract: Food safety is a major issue for the poultry industry as well as the food production industry as a whole. Each year an estimated 76 million Americans become ill from consuming foods contaminated with pathogenic microbes and their toxins. Many interventions, including chemical antimicrobials and the implementation of the HACCP system, have been used in poultry processing operations. These strategies have led to a general decline in the incidence of paratyphoid Salmonella incidence on broiler carcasses. However, there is a lack of reports on intervention strategies that are implemented in the pre-processing stages of broiler production that could, if successful, reduce the pathogen load entering the processing plant. This reduction could allow processing operations to lower costs of operation and may lead to decreased cross-contamination within the processing environment. Litter amendments consisting of various formulations have been proposed as an intervention strategy to decrease the incidence of pathogens entering processing operations from live production.