White Paper: Anolyte and Catholyte as Disinfectants in a Poultry Processing Plant

Introduction

Poultry production is an essential sector in the global animal food market, significantly contributing to the dietary needs of populations, including South Africa. The increasing demand for poultry necessitates stringent hygiene practices throughout the processing stages to ensure the production of safe and wholesome chicken products.

Healthy chickens harbor a variety of bacteria on their feet, feathers, skin, and intestines, which can contaminate carcasses during processing. The processing environment, equipment, and human contact further facilitate the spread and multiplication of these microorganisms, making microbial control a complex challenge.

Literature Review

Microbiology of Poultry

Contaminants in poultry can be spoilage bacteria or pathogens such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes. Spoilage bacteria commonly found include Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and Enterobacteriaceae.

Pathogens

- Salmonella: Often introduced during breeding, hatching, and rearing, Salmonella contamination can escalate during processing.

- Clostridium perfringens: Ubiquitous in the environment, present mainly as spores on processed poultry.

- Staphylococcus aureus: Found on skin surfaces and nasal cavities, contamination increases during processing.

- Campylobacter jejuni: Poultry is a major reservoir, with contamination occurring frequently during processing.

- Listeria monocytogenes: Widely distributed in the environment, capable of multiplying at refrigeration temperatures.

Spoilage Organisms

Spoilage of raw poultry meat is primarily due to psychrotrophs such as Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter, and Moraxella, which grow under chill storage conditions.

Materials and Methods

Disinfectant Solutions

- Anolyte: Evaluated for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and used in various processing stages.

- Catholyte: Evaluated during scalding.

Applications

- Pre-evisceration spray: Chicken carcasses sprayed with Anolyte solution.

- Post-evisceration spray: Carcasses sprayed with Anolyte solution.

- Spinchiller: Carcasses submerged in Anolyte solution.

- Scalding with Catholyte: Chickens submerged in Catholyte solution.

Sample Preparation and Microbiological Analysis

Composite meat and skin samples were analyzed for total bacteria and coliform bacteria counts using standard microbiological techniques.

Results

Pre-evisceration Spray Application

Spraying chicken carcasses with Anolyte immediately after defeathering significantly reduced bacterial counts compared to standard practices, showing a one-log reduction in total bacteria.

Post-evisceration Spray and Spinchiller Applications

Anolyte treatment did not significantly differ from the control in terms of bacterial reduction.

Scalding with Catholyte

No significant difference was found between Catholyte treatment and the control in reducing bacterial counts on chicken skin and feathers.

Discussion

The Anolyte solution (1:10 dilution) demonstrated efficacy in reducing bacterial contamination, particularly when applied immediately after defeathering.

Conclusions

- Anolyte: Recommended for use immediately after defeathering to reduce bacterial contamination early in the processing.

- Catholyte: Not recommended for use during scalding due to lack of significant improvement in bacterial reduction.

References

1. AFMA. 1996. Braaikuikenbedryf in Suid-Afrika. AFMA MATRIX 5(3): 27.

2. Anand S.K., Mahapatra C.M., Pandey N.K., Verma S.S. 1989. Microbial changes on chicken carcasses during processing. Indian J. Poult. Sci. 24(3): 203-209.

3. Bailey J.S., Thomson J.E., Cox N.A. 1987. Contamination of poultry during processing. In The Microbiology of Poultry Meat Products. Academic Press, Orlando. 193-211.

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