Reducing Salmonella transfer during industrial poultry meat production

From primary production and on through the whole processing line, the poultry house microflora will be transferred into the processing plant, and further on in the process, onto exterior parts of the birds as well in their gut microflora. This is particularly true for Salmonella. In this paper, the major stages of poultry processing are considered with regard to the potential spread of Salmonella. Most of the data referred to in this review applies to broiler chickens. Cross contamination occurs especially during scalding, defeathering, head pulling, evisceration and chilling. The poultry meat processing line does not have any killing capability for Salmonella. At present, effective barriers that might be able to control Salmonella do not exist. It would be useful to develop more techniques and procedures than are presently available. Several other options for intervention to control Salmonella already exist. Although generally known, these have not yet been incorporated into the production sequence. They include the implementation of other processing actions such as flaming; changes of machinery design for example in scalding tanks and transport containers. It would also be helpful to base operational designs of machinery for scalding and crate washing more on scientific data such as time-temperature-relations in calculation of Salmonella death rates. However, none of these actions alone would be able to solve the problem, an integrated approach is needed. More data on flock Salmonella status is needed at critical stages during broiler grow-out. Also requirements for special products such as minimally processed meat must be examined, and more quantitative data are needed to calculate time-temperature relations more precisely.