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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 #120947
Title: EFFECT OF PACKAGING SYSTEM ON BACTERIA SURVIVAL ON PROCESSED POULTRY

Author
item Byrd Ii, James - Allen
item SAMS, A - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Caldwell, David
item Kubena, Leon
item HARGIS, B - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Poultry Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previously, we evaluated the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) gases on the survival of naturally occurring Campylobacter on raw poultry and found that oxygen was the most effective in reducing the bacteria. Presently, we evaluated the effects of packaging methods on the survival of naturally occurring Campylobacter, aerobes, and psychrophiles on whole or parts of raw poultry. Whole or parts from broiler carcasses (400) were packaged with MAP, ice pack, chill pack, vacuum pack or frozen and sampled for the detection of Campylobacter, psychrophiles, and total aerobes at 0, 2 and 14d of refrigerated (2 deg C) storage. MAP gases evaluated were 100% oxygen and a standard mixture (5% 02 + 10% CO2 + 85% N). The rinse fluid was recovered, pooled from 5 individual rinses, and serial dilutions made for examination of Campylobacter (campy-cefex, 42 deg C, 48h), psychrophiles (plate count agar, 4 deg C, 7d), and total aerobic bacterial populations (plate count agar, 37 deg C, 24h). Campylobacter counts for all treatments were reduced during the 14d storage period but the O2 and frozen treatments caused a greater reduction than the other treatments. Storage for 14d in chill or ice packs resulted in the greatest growth of psychrophilic (spoilage) bacteria. Psychrophilic growth was reduced by frozen, O2, and gas mixture methods with the mixture having the greatest reduction. Freezing, followed by storage in MAP gas mixture, O2, and chill pack parts, caused the greatest reduction of aerobes through 14d. These data suggest that O2 may be a preferred MAP environment because it actually reduced Campylobacter detection and retarded both psychrophile and aerobe growth during storage.