POULTRY PRODUCT QUALITY. 5. Microbiological Evaluation of Mechanically Deboned Poultry Meat

Abstract

SUMMARY —Samples of deboned meat from broiler necks and backs, whole fowl and turkey racks were obtained from commercial sources and examined for total aerobic counts, fecal coliforms, salmonellae, Clostridium perfringens, coagulase positive staphylococci and psychrotolerant microorganisms. The raw materials were either deboned immediately after birds were processed (conventional processing) or held in the plants at 3–5°C for 5 days prior to deboning (delayed processing). The storage studies were conducted by holding the deboned meat at 3°C for 0, 3, 6 and 12 days and at ‐15°C for periods of 3, 6 and 9 months. The total aerobic counts of delayed processed samples were shown to be higher than conventionally processed meat and remained the same throughout the storage period. In all instances, the total aerobic counts increased during the storage at 3°C. The MPN fecal coliforms were high for all samples and remained relatively the same throughout the storage period at 3°C. Freezing resulted in a significant reduction of fecal coliforms. Only six out of 54 samples were contaminated with salmonellae while four showed the presence of C. perfringens and none was contaminated with S. aureus. Pseudomonas, Achromobac‐ter and Flavobacterium dominated the psychrotolerant genera isolated in this investigation.

Scientific Opinion on the public health risks related to mechanically separated meat (MSM) derived from poultry and swine

“…As there are no interventions applied to swine or poultry bones or carcass parts that would reduce Salmonella contamination. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that pork and poultry MSM may also be contaminated with these bacteria as was demonstrated by Ostovar et al (1971) who reported 11% of poultry MSM to be Salmonella positive.…”

“…Gomes et al (2003), while investigating the effect of gamma radiation on refrigerated poultry MSM, reported an increase in psychrotrophic TVC from approximately 3.8 log 10 cfu g -1 to 4.9 log 10 cfu g -1 after 4 days, to 6.6 log 10 cfu g -1 after 6 days and to 7.8 log 10 cfu g -1 after 8 days storage at 2°C. An earlier study by Ostovar et al (1971) had previously shown an increase in TVC from 3.35 x 10 5 cfu g -1 to 7.10 x 10 5 cfu g -1 on MSM derived from poultry immediately after slaughter as compared with MSM when the raw materials were stored at 3°C to 5°C for 3 to 5 days. In poultry MSM, TVC also increased from 3.25 x 10 5 cfu g -1 to 9.32 x 10 6 cfu g -1 after storage at 3°C for 12 days.…”

“…S. aureus has been described above. Clostridia, specifically C. perfringens, had been previously reported in poultry MSM (Ostovar et al, 1971). Food poisoning with the organism occurs when enterotoxigenic strains multiply in temperature abused food.…”

Carne fresca e pollame

“…Su 54 campioni esaminati, 6 contenevano salmonelle e 4 C. perfringens, ma in nessun caso è stato rinvenuto S. aureus 137 . La qualità microbiologica del pollame disossato è stata comparata con altri prodotti avicoli crudi: sebbene le conte siano risultate paragonabili, i valori MPN dei coliformi nei prodotti MDM commerciali variavano da 460 fino a oltre 1110/g.…”

Sensory and chemical characteristics of lamb, mutton and mechanically deboned turkey meat patties

“…Bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Achromobacter, which have been identified in mechanically deboned poultry meat by Ostovark et al (1971), can attack and utilize certain carbonyl compounds (Smith and Alford, 1968). Moerck and Ball (1974) Depending upon the type of microflora present in meat tissue and growing conditions under which the meat is stored, either increases or decreases in pH can occur (Ockerman et al, 1969;Borton, 1969), and changes in pH influence the emulsifying capacity and emulsion stability of poultry meat (Hudspeth and May, 1967;Parkes and May, 1968;Froning and Neelakantan, 1971;McCready and Cunningham, 1971;Neelakantan and Froning, 1971).…”