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Title: SCALE-UP AND FIELD TEST OF THE VACUUM/STEAM/VACUUM SURFACE INTERVENTION PROCESS FOR POULTRY

Author
item Kozempel, Michael
item Goldberg, Neil
item Dickens, James
item Ingram, Kimberly
item Craig Jr, James

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2002
Publication Date: 3/19/2003
Citation: KOZEMPEL, M.F., GOLDBERG, N.M., DICKENS, J.A., INGRAM, K.D., CRAIG JR, J.C. SCALE-UP AND FIELD TEST OF THE VACUUM/STEAM/VACUUM SURFACE INTERVENTION PROCESS FOR POULTRY. JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE. 2003. V. 26. P. 447-468.

Interpretive Summary: Raw chicken is a well-documented source of pathogenic bacteria. We previously developed a pilot plant process that uses alternately vacuum and steam to kill bacteria on solid foods such as raw chicken. To scale up and test the process in close proximity to poultry process plants, we designed and fabricated a mobile version of the VSV surface intervention processor for chicken. Checked it out in the pilot plant; performed field tests; and solved problems uncovered in the field tests. The process kills 1.1 - 1.5 log of the bacteria on the surface of fresh chicken with little or no thermal damage to the carcass. Poultry processors will benefit because their product will be safer and have fewer recall problems. Consumers will buy a safer product.

Technical Abstract: The Vacuum/Steam/Vacuum surface intervention pilot plant processor was scaled up to a mobile unit that can be transported to close proximity of chicken processing plants. After several modifications to the mandrel that supports the broiler carcass in the treatment chamber to minimize mechanical damage, the unit was capable of 1.1 log cfu/ml kill of inoculated Listeria innocua and 1.4 log cfu/ml kill of inoculated E. coli K-12. Field tests achieved 1.4 log kill of E. coli and 1.2 log kill of Campylobacter on freshly processed chicken using 3 cycles and 138C saturated steam. But, there was extensive mechanical damage. The mandrel was modified in the Eastern Regional Research Center pilot plant to eliminate the mechanical damage. With mechanical damage eliminated, the bacteria kill was 1.1-1.5 log of inoculated E. coli K-12 with a total process time of 1.1 s.