title: The effect of refrigerated and frozen storage on populations of mesophilic and coliform bacteria on fresh broiler chicken carcasses.
abstract: Experiments were conducted to determine whether lots of broiler chicken carcasses analyzed at Day 0 or subjected to various refrigeration or freezing temperatures could be microbiologically differentiated using impedance microbiological methods. Sixty ready-to-cook broiler chicken carcasses were collected from a processing facility and used in each of three replicate trials. For each trial, 10 carcasses each were: sampled immediately (Day 0 control), sampled after holding at 3 C for 13 d (Refrigerated control), sampled after holding at 0 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Refrigerated 0), sampled after holding at -3.9 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -3.9), sampled after holding at -7.8 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -7.8), and sampled after holding at -27.0 C for 12 d and tempering at 3 C for 24 h (Frozen -27). Carcasses were sampled using a whole carcass rinse procedure. Mesophilic impedance detection times (MDT) and coliform impedance detection times (CDT) at 42 C were conducted in duplicate on each carcass rinse. Lots of carcasses held at 0 C or below had significantly fewer mesophiles than those held at 3 C. The MDT would be suitable for distinguishing carcasses held at 0 C or below from those held at 3 C. Using CDT, lots of carcasses frozen at -7.8 or -27.0 C could be distinguished from lots analyzed at Day 0 or held at 0 or 3 C. Using CDT, lots of carcasses frozen at -3.9 could not be separated from those held at 3 C, but could be distinguished from those held at 0 C. Monitoring coliforms using impedance would be useful for identifying lots of carcasses subjected to temperatures of -7.8 C or below but would not be suitable for determining freezing temperature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2772, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D005511:Food Handling / Q000592:standards*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005628:Frozen Foods / Q000592:standards*; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*