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Title: APC VALUES VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FORMED IN COMMERCIALLY PROCESSED RAW CHICKEN PARTS...TEMPERATURE ABUSE CONDITIONS

Author
item Senter, Samuel - Sam
item Arnold, Judy
item Chew, Victor

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/2/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Research was conducted to determine if the volatile compounds produced by growth of bacteria inherent on commercially produced chicken parts during storage could be used as indicators of spoilage. Analyses were conducted using gas chromatographic/mass spectral/chemoluninescence detection for isolation/identification/quantitation of the volatile compounds. Results of this study show the inconsistent trends that occur in the microflora and resultant production of volatile compounds on stored commercially processed poultry. Effects of different storage temperatures on the proliferation of aerobic bacteria that are inherent on the carcasses after slaughter and processing were shown. Temperature abuse studies show that volatile compound analysis can be used as a tool to determine quality as the bacterial numbers reach spoilage levels. This paper will serve as a useful reference for volatile compounds related to increases in bacterial loads on various cuts of chicken meat stored at temperatures and times representative of commercial processing, storage and distribution.

Technical Abstract: Skinless chicken breast fillets, thighs, wings, and boneless breast with skin were selected from the production line of a commercial processor. Samples were evaluated over time in storage at 4 C, 13 C and under temperature abuse conditions for microbial proliferation and production of volatile compounds (VC). Aerobic plate counts (APC) were enumerated and VC quantitated at 24 h storage intervals; however, APC increases were not reflected by significant correlates with headspace VC. Compounds isolated from sample headspaces by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and direct head space sampling, and then analyzed by gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and gas chromatography/chemiluminescence detection (GC/SCD) were hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, ethanol, acetone, C5-C6-C7 hydrocarbons, dimethyl sulfide, methyl ethyl ketone, carbon disulfide, 1-propanol, ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, S-methyl thioacetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide. Compounds appearing in the samples with any degree of consistency and therefore considered pertinent for these analyses were ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide. Elevated APC and VC diversity occurred more prevalently in those samples from higher temperature storage.