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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #254832
Title: Spray washing carcasses with alkaline solutions of lauric acid to reduce bacterial contamination.

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Cason Jr, John
item BUHR, RICHARD - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item LILJEBJELKE, K - Former ARS Employee

Submitted to: European Poultry Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2011
Publication Date: 8/23/2011
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Cason Jr, J.A., Buhr, R., Liljebjelke, K. 2011. Spray Washing Carcasses with Alkaline Solutions of Lauric Acid to Reduce Bacterial Contamination. XIIIth European Poultry Conference Proceedings, Tours, France, August 23-27. p.192.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effect of spray washing carcasses with lauric acid (LA)-potassium hydroxide (KOH) on bacteria recovered from whole-carcass-rinsates (WCR) was examined. Skin of carcasses was inoculated with a cecal paste containing antibiotic resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimirum, and Campylobacter coli. The first trial examined the effect of washing carcasses with water, 0.25% LA-0.125% KOH, 0.50% LA-0.25% KOH, 1.00% LA-0.50% KOH, or 2.00% LA-1.00% KOH at 80 psi for 15 sec. Findings indicated that significantly fewer total plate count (TPC) bacteria, E. coli, and Salmonella Typhimirum were recovered from rinsates of carcasses washed with 2.00% LA-1.00% KOH than from carcasses washed with water and that no C. coli were recovered from carcasses washed with 2.00% LA-1.00% KOH. Another trial was conducted to examine the effect of washing carcasses for 0, 5, 15, or 30 sec with 2.00% LA-1.00% KOH at 100 psi. Results indicated that significantly fewer bacteria were recovered from carcasses washed for 5 sec than from unwashed carcasses. Furthermore, significantly fewer TPC bacteria and Salmonella Typhimirum were recovered from carcasses washed for 15 sec than for 5 sec, and no C. coli were recovered from carcasses washed for 15 or 30 sec. Increasing the concentration of LA-KOH or time carcass were washed with LA-KOH also increased pH of WCR samples. Findings from these studies indicate that spray washing broiler carcasses with LA-KOH can reduce the number of bacteria recovered from WCR. These studies also provide addition data that may be useful in designing practical applications for the use of microbicidal surfactants in poultry processing operations.