Currently, two defects in poultry breasts termed Wooden Breast (WB) and White Striping (WS) have been reported in slaughterhouses. These defects may be associated with the accelerated growth of the birds, management, density in the aviary, and both weight and age at slaughter. Although the health of the affected birds is not impaired, these myopathies cause carcass condemnation and economic losses to slaughterhouses, since the breasts of these chickens, considered to be prime cuts in the poultry industry, have to be discarded. This paper reports on the economic losses and factors associated with carcass condemnation caused by white striping (WS) and wooden breast (WB) in broilers from a federally inspected slaughterhouse. Twelve flocks, totaling 207,000 slaughtered broilers, were assessed as to weight and age at slaughter, and stocking density and carcass condemnations due to these two myopathies were also evaluated. Economic losses were estimated by the price of poultry breast at the firm level, around U$ 19,12 per kilo, amounting to daily losses of up to U$ 70,632.00, given that approximately 0.8% of the chicken breasts were condemned. Heavier broilers had a larger condemnation rate due to WS and WB, and so did those reared at a smaller density, due probably to their better access to water and feed, which contributed to weight gain and consequent condemnation, resulting in losses that could affect the entire poultry sector.
Introduction: Campylobacteriosis is considered the most common bacteria-caused human gastroenteritis in the world. Poultry is a major reservoir of Campylobacter. Human infection may occur by consumption of raw and undercooked poultry or by contamination of other foods by these items. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry processing plants with conventional culture method and real-time PCR. Methodology: A total of 108 poultry processing plant samples were collected to test with conventional microbiology and qPCR. Sampling included cloacal swabs, swabs of transport crates (before and after the cleaning and disinfection process) and carcasses (after the chiller, cooled at 4°C and frozen at −12°C). Results: Positivity in cloacal swabs indicated that poultry arrived contaminated at the slaughterhouse. Contamination in transport cages was substantially increased after the cleaning process, indicating that the process was ineffective. The detection of Campylobacter on carcasses was higher than that on cloacal swabs, which could indicate cross-contamination during the slaughtering process. Conventional microbiology and molecular methods revealed a prevalence of 69.4% and 43.5%, respectively. Lower detection by qPCR can be attributed to the high specificity of the kit and to biological components that could inhibit PCR reactions. Conclusions: Our results indicate that poultry arrive contaminated at the slaughterhouse and that contamination can increase during the slaughtering process due to cross-contamination. The isolation of Campylobacter in cooled and frozen carcasses corroborates the bacterial survival even at temperatures considered limiting to bacterial growth which are routinely used for food preservation.
ResumoEspécies de Campylobacter spp. termotolerantes são agentes de surtos de campilobacteriose em humanos e os produtos de origem avícola são considerados uma importante fonte de infecção. Foram identificados Campylobacter jejuni e Campylobacter coli em carcaças de frango resfriadas e congeladas coletadas em três abatedouros entre 2014 e 2015. A detecção de Campylobacter spp. foi realizada por microbiologia convencional e a identificação de C. jejuni e C. coli por multiplex-PCR. Dentre as amostras avaliadas verificou-se Campylobacter spp. termotolerante em 63,8%, sendo 72,2% em carcaças resfriadas e 55,5% em carcaças congeladas. Destas, 83,3% foram positivas para C. jejuni e 66,6% para C. coli, enquanto 50% foram positivas para ambas as espécies. A presença de Campylobacter spp. termotolerante em carcaças de frangos de corte prontas para consumo representa uma importante fonte de transmissão destes patógenos para humanos. Palavras-chave: abatedouros avícolas; campilobacteriose; termotolerantes. AbstractSpecies of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. are agents of campylobacteriosis outbreaks in humans, and poultry products are implicated as major sources of infection. The detection of Campylobacter spp. was performed by conventional microbiology in poultry carcasses collected in slaughterhouses and species were identified by multiplex-PCR. Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. was verified in 63.8% of the samples, being 72.2% in chilled carcasses and 55.5% in frozen carcasses. Of these, 83.3% were positive for C. jejuni and 66.6% to C. coli, while 50% were positive for both. The presence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in ready-to-eat poultry products represents a potential source of human campylobacteriosis.
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