Survival of Salmonella on refrigerated chicken carcasses and subsequent transfer to cutting board.

摘要

This study investigated the effects of refrigeration time and temp. on Salmonella cell numbers on inoculated chicken carcasses and their transfer to a plastic cutting board. Survival of Salmonella on chicken skin and the transfer to a plastic cutting board when exposed to different refrigeration temp. (2, 6 or 8 degrees C) for 9 days were investigated. Carcasses treated with a decontaminating acetic acid solution and untreated carcasses were tested. All of the contaminated carcasses remained contaminated after 9 days of refrigeration. However, on untreated samples, while Salmonella numbers increased almost 1.5 log at 8 degrees C, pathogen numbers decreased about 1 log at 2 and 6 degrees C. On acid-treated samples, cell numbers slightly decreased at all of the temp. studied. Temp. did not affect Salmonellae transfer to the cutting board, but time did. Acid decontamination increased cell numbers transferred to the cutting board compared with untreated samples. In conclusion, proper refrigeration at low temp. did not allow Salmonella numbers to rise, regardless of which carcasses had been, or had not been, acid treated. Despite the fact that the rate of transfer was not affected by temp., the acid treatment detached Salmonella cells from the chicken skin and, therefore, the probability of greater cross-contamination should be studied further.