Evaluation of Salmonella disinfection strategies for pre-slaughter broiler crop decontamination

Abstract

The purpose of the following studies was to evaluate selected potential decontamination methods for ability to reduce the incidence of Salmonella recovery from broiler crops during pre-slaughter feed withdrawal. The efficacy of prolonged lactose administration in drinking water was evaluated with regard to ability to inhibit ,Salmonella persistence in the broiler crop prior to pre-slaughter feed withdrawal. Several candidate disinfectants were evaluated for potential to disinfect Salmonella in the presence of organic material, simulating the environment of the broiler crop. In this study, an apparent synergistic combination of citric acid and d-Limonene was discovered and further evaluated for ability to remove Salmonella from broiler crops prior to feed withdrawal. Lactose (2.5%) was administered in drinking water for 5-11 d, in 7 separate experiments. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the incidence of Salmonella recovered from market age broiler crops following feed withdrawal was detected in only 1 experiment. Additionally, the incidence of Salmonella recovery from the ceca was not significantly impacted. Consistent with previously published reports, Salmonella recovery was reduced in broilers not subjected to feed withdrawal. Employing a rapid assay system containing high amounts of organic material, selected candidate disinfectants were screened for Salmonella reduction efficacy. The combination of citric acid and d-Limonene at relatively low concentrations displayed marked killing ability in this assay system. When the two compounds were encapsulated, market age broilers voluntarily consumed the capsules readily. Voluntary ingestion of these capsules by adult broilers during the final 45 min of an 8 h feed withdrawal resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) lower incidence of Salmonella recovery from crops, suggesting that ante mortem crop disinfection for improving food safety is