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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350360
Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Reduction of Campylobacter on chicken livers using a low acid processing aid

Author
item LANDRUM, MELISSA - University Of Georgia
item Cox Jr, Nelson
item Cosby, Douglas
item Berrang, Mark
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Mize, Susan
item JACKSON, JEROMEY - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Advanced Food and Nutritional Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2018
Publication Date: 7/1/2018
Citation: Landrum, M.A., Cox Jr, N.A., Cosby, D.E., Berrang, M.E., Hinton Jr, A., Mize, S.C., Jackson, J.S. 2018. Reduction of Campylobacter on chicken livers using a low acid processing aid. Advanced Food and Nutritional Sciences. 3:1-6.

Interpretive Summary: Poultry products are commonly implicated with outbreaks of campylobacteriosis and chicken liver is increasingly becoming a prime source of this contamination resulting in human illness. By using a 15 second dip method >98% of Campylobacter was eliminated from chicken livers with a low pH processing aid (poultrypHresh - sulfuric acid + copper sulfate) as compared to untreated livers. This study provides industry with an effective means to reduce Campylobacter and human illness associated with chicken livers.

Technical Abstract: Liver has become a prime source for Campylobacter outbreaks and products are needed to allow processors a more efficient way of controlling foodborne pathogens. Campylobacter reductions in livers treated with a low pH processing aid, (CMS PoultrypHresh), with and without a surfactant (PoultrypHresh Plus) were studied. Chicken livers (n=13/treatment group) were individually inoculated with a C. coli marker strain (107) and each dipped into sterile cups containing 100 mL of water, PoultrypHresh or PoultrypHresh Plus for 15 s, removed and allowed 5 s to drain. Each liver was placed into 50 mL buffered peptone water and hand shaken for 60 s; controls (n=10) same procedure, no treatment. Rinsates were serially diluted and plated onto Campy Cefex agar with 200 ppm gentamicin. Plates were incubated for 48 h at 42°C microaerobically, colonies counted and log transformed. Procedures were replicated 3 times. Significant reductions in treated compared to untreated for PoultrypHresh and PoultrypHresh Plus was 98.1% and 99.4%, respectively and with no change in appearance. Treating with this product may allow processors to meet rising performance standards on poultry livers.