Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit
Project Number: 6040-32000-085-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Nov 8, 2022
End Date: Nov 7, 2027
Objective:
1. Evaluate risk factors that enhance survival of Salmonella and Campylobacter across the poultry processing chain and develop targeted solutions.
1.A Characterize the microbiome of commercial poultry processing facilities to understand how bacterial populations in the processing plant affects the microbial population on processed poultry meat. Special emphasis will be placed on associations between Salmonella in the processing environment microbiome and Salmonella contamination of meat processed in the facility.
1.B Determine Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence and relative proportion of the pathogens in the resident microbial communities on broiler carcasses after defeathering and prior to chilling operations in commercial poultry processing facilities throughout a processing day.
1.C Create a relational Population Genetics (PopGen) Database of the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) in different populations of Salmonella and Campylobacter and determine patterns that relate to survival in the poultry environment.
1.D Examine the incidence and importance of aerotolerance and resistance to oxidizing antimicrobial processing aids in Campylobacter and Salmonella isolated from commercial broilers.
2. Develop poultry slaughter and processing control strategies to reduce the quantifiable loads of Salmonella and Campylobacter.
2.A Evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial applications before, during, or after defeathering, or in sequential combinations after immersion chilling to reduce the load of Salmonella and Campylobacter on broiler carcasses.
2.B Evaluate the reduction of fecal and bacterial contamination of broiler carcasses using a prototype spray cabinet to apply water at varying temperatures and water pressures and to apply chemical interventions combined with varying temperatures and pressures.
Approach:
The goal of the project is to reduce contamination of poultry meat during processing by (1) Evaluating risk factors that enhance survival of Salmonella and Campylobacter across the poultry processing chain and (2) Developing poultry slaughter and processing control strategies to reduce the quantifiable loads of Salmonella and Campylobacter.
