Control of salmonella infections in broiler chickens by the acid treatment of their feed

Abstract

In three experiments a solution of formic acid (Bioadd) was added to feed 'naturally' contaminated with salmonellas. In two of them no salmonella infections were demonstrated in broiler chickens given feed containing 0.6 per cent (w/w) of the formic acid solution for seven weeks and in the third the infection rate was reduced considerably. In four other experiments the feed was contaminated artificially with between 1 and 47 Salmonella kedougou/g and a second product (BPO12), consisting of a mixture of formic acid and propionic acid, was evaluated. When it was added at 0.5 to 0.68 per cent (w/w) only one of 30 groups of 10 to 12 birds became infected with S kedougou by two weeks of age, compared with 22 of 27 control groups. The treatment of the feed with BPO12 one week before the addition of the salmonellas prevented the establishment of infection in chicks given the treated feed, indicating that acid treatment will provide protection against subsequent recontamination of the feed with the organisms. The isolation rate of S kedougou from artificially contaminated feed treated with BPO12 was reduced only slightly but the feed was apparently 'safe' for the birds which consumed it.

Role of the PhoP-PhoQ System in the Virulence of Erwinia chrysanthemi Strain 3937: Involvement in Sensitivity to Plant Antimicrobial Peptides, Survival at Acid pH, and Regulation of Pectolytic Enzymes

“…It has been known for a long time that short-chain organic acids present in the intestine can exert antimicrobial activity (2,12). Furthermore, the addition of a mixture of these acids has been used to prevent Salmonella infections in chicken farms (25). Therefore, we decided to analyze the sensitivity of E. chrysanthemi 3937 to several weak organic acids, such as acetic, benzoic, butyric, citric, formic, lactic, and propionic acids.…”

Stable Concentrated Emulsions of the 1-Monoglyceride of Capric Acid (Monocaprin) with Microbicidal Activities against the Food-Borne Bacteria Campylobacter jejuni , Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli

“…The finding that MC emulsions containing TW40 kill Salmonella and E. coli in buffer at pH 5 or lower opens the possibility of utilizing MC emulsions in the control of food-borne infections caused by these bacteria. It is of interest that a number of studies have been done on the effect of organic acids, such as lactic acid, in reducing the number of Salmonella and C. jejuni bacteria on chicken carcasses (9, 13) or in diminishing intestinal colonization of Salmonella in chickens (11,20). Since there seems to be a synergistic effect of MC and acid in killing these bacteria as well as Campylobacter, a combination of MC and organic acids might be a feasible approach, e.g., as an additive to feeds or for rinsing carcasses.…”

“…One approach is to prevent infection in broiler chickens by eliminating Campylobacter or Salmonella from their drinking water by the addition of chemicals such as chlorine (22) or organic acids at low pH (7). Another approach is to reduce the levels of bacterial colonization in the intestinal tracts of broilers by the addition of chemicals to their feeds (11,20), by competitive inhibition with other bacterial strains (2), or by phage therapy (19). Many attempts to treat poultry carcasses in the slaughterhouse with antibacterial chemicals have been made, but with various results (12,22).…”

Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Decrease Colonization and Invasion through hilA Suppression Shortly after Infection of Chickens with Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis

“…Currently, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA; formic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid) are commonly used in the poultry industry for this purpose. SCFA decrease fecal shedding and the levels of colonization of the ceca and internal organs of chickens by Salmonella (12,20). Propionic and butyric acid decrease the invasion of intestinal epithelial cells, whereas acetic acid and formic acid do not have this effect (23).…”