1. Microbiological Considerations Related to Poultry Products For the FSIS “How to” Workshops Spring 2009 Presented by Dr. Patricia Curtis and Ms. Jessica Butler Auburn University 1

2. Objectives By the end of this workshop, you will be able to  Understand bacterial growth  Understand sources of bacterial contamination  Implement practices to help prevent the growth of bacteria in your operations 2

3. How Do Poultry Carcasses Become Contaminated? Live Haul Cleanliness and Sanitation of Cages Holding Time Weather Feed Withdrawal 3

4. How Rapidly Do Bacteria Grow? n Under optimum conditions, bacteria can grow in as little as 15 minutes 4

5. Bacterial Growth Rate Cells: 40 80 160 320 640 1,280 2,560 5,120 Time: 0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 5

6. Bacteria n Some bacteria have a slime layer or capsule around them n Some bacteria produce spores ● Spores allow bacteria to survive in adverse conditions 6

7. Psychrotrophs n Grow at refrigerated temperatures n Ice may serve as a source if it is not made, stored, and transported properly n Water may serve as a source n Many spoilage organisms are psychrotrophs 7

8. Mesophiles  Grow optimally at temperatures similar to human and animal body temperatures  Most pathogens are mesophiles  Salmonella and Campylobacter are mesophiles 8

9. Thermophiles n Grow at higher temperatures n Not a problem for raw poultry n Problems usually arise in canned foods that are not cooled properly 9

10. Major Factors Affecting Growth of Bacteria in Food n Temperature n Time n Oxygen n Nutrients n Microbial interactions n pH n Water activity 10

11. Bacterial Growth Curve L G S D L = Lag Phase G = Growth Phase S = Stationary Phase D = Die Off Phase Temperature Growth Rate 11

12. How Temperature Affects Growth Rate of a Bacterial Population Temperature ColdHot Growth Rate Minimum Optimum Maximum 12

13. Time/Temperature n The length of time at a particular temperature directly affects the growth rate n To minimize the growth rate of pathogens, it is important to minimize the time at which poultry is held at temperatures that allow growth 13

14. FSIS Microbiological Baseline Data for Broilers (1994–1995) n This survey found that 98% of the samples contained one or more of the six pathogenic bacteria tested for in the survey 14

15. Prevalence of Selected Bacteria in Broiler Samples Selected Bacteria % Positive E. coli (generic) 99.6 Salmonella20.0 Campylobacter jejuni/coli 88.2 Staphylococcus aureus 64.0 Listeria monocytogenes 15.0 15

16. Numbers of Pathogens on Broiler Carcasses Calculated by Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University 16

17. Microbial Concerns for Poultry Products n Foodborne pathogens n Fecal contamination n Spoilage organisms 17

18. Primary Sources of Bacteria n Feces n Ingesta n Feathers n Skin n Feet n Equipment n People 18

19. Primary Sources of Contamination n Growout ● Farm sanitation ● Feed withdrawal ● Feral animals n Livehaul n Holding 19

20. Secondary Sources of Contamination n Secondary sources ● Workers ● Water ● Fomites ● Pests n Factors affecting secondary contamination ● Sanitation ● Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) o Worker practices o Worker training 20

21. Principles of Controlling Bacteria n Kill bacteria n Prevent or reduce number of bacteria n Inhibit growth of bacteria 21

22. Killing Methods n Chemicals ● Chlorine ● Chlorine dioxide ● TSP n Temperature ● Heat ● Cold n Irradiation 22

23. To Reduce Spread and Overall Numbers n Prevent fecal contamination n Prevent cross- contamination ● Water and air ● Handling (worker and equipment) ● Bird to bird 23

24. Prevent Growth n Time and temperature control n Nutrients and water are difficult to control during processing n Sanitation removes nutrients and excess water 24

25. Carcass Washing n Carcass washing will NOT remove bacteria n Varies in effectiveness 25