The influence of Ph and temperature on Salmonella spp. from fresh, chilled and frozen poultry carcasses

Abstract

The trials were conducted in a slaughtering unit from Iaşi, where 192 samples from poultry carcasses were gathered and analysed microbiologically. Carcasses were washed in order to obtain test samples. The main sources of salmonellosis were poultry and poultry products. Salmonella is one of the most important worldwide causes of foodborne diseases. In order to reduce the contamination, we have treated experimentally the washing water with lactic acid sol. 1%. Thus, we stopped the evolution of the microorganisms susceptible to environmental pH changes. This pH change reduced the microbial load, especially of Salmonella spp,. from the surface of the carcass. The pH of the carcass washing water was 6.75; after the addition of lactic acid, it reached 2.34 and the temperature of washing water was 150C. The contamination of fresh carcasses with Salmonella spp had an incidence of 14.06%. After the treatment of washing water, it decreased until 4.6%. In case of 40C chilled carcasses, the incidence of Salmonella species in the presence of untreated carcasses was of 4.6%, being reduced to 1.5% after treatment.