Evaluation of peracids for ante mortem disinfection of the chicken upper gastrointestinal tract to reduce food-borne pathogen transmission

Abstract

Paratyphoid Salmonella is an important human food-borne pathogen that commonly contaminates broiler carcasses. Previous studies have implicated upper gastrointestinal contents as a major critical control point during broiler processing. Recent studies have indicated that disinfectants added to the drinking water during the preharvest feed withdrawal can lower the incidence of human food-borne pathogens and reduce carcass contamination during processing. Presently, we evaluated the effect of selected concentrations of acetic, citric, or lactic peracids on Salmonella killing in the presence of organic matter in vitro and in vivo. During a one h incubation in a 25% (wt/v) feed slurry at 40 C, the effect of 30, 60 or 125 ppm (final concentration) of each peracid on Salmonella enteritidis reduction was evaluated. Percitric acid reduced Salmonella recovery (>1 Log₁₀) only at the highest concentration evaluated, while peracetic acid did not result in 10x reductions at tested concentrations. However, perlactic acid (125 ppm) resulted in a 3.21 Log₁₀ reduction in recovered Salmonella, with substantial reductions observed at the tested lower concentrations. In evaluations of voluntary consumption of either percitric or perlactic acids, concentrations of perlactic acid (30 ppm) and percitric acid (125 ppm) were readily consumed by market-age broilers with only moderate reductions in apparent consumption of perlactic acid (60 ppm) noted. Each of these peracid concentrations resulted in marked (> 1.3 Log₁₀) reductions in Salmonella recovery from crops when administered to market-age broilers during a simulated 8 h feed withdrawal. These data suggest that selected peracid administration during preslaughter feed withdrawal could lower contaminated carcasses at processing. That very low concentrations were found to be effective suggests that selected peracid treatment during preslaughter feed withdrawal may be a cost-effective ante mortem intervention for Salmonella control in fresh poultry products.