Mitigating the Impact of Sanitizer Carry-over on Pathogen Monitoring

Introduction: A number of chemicals in broiler processing aids are used to reduce or destroy pathogenic bacteria on processed carcasses. However, carry-over of active sanitizer to the analyzed rinse solution may cause false negative results and potentially confound regulatory oversight.

Purpose: This study was conducted to document antimicrobial carry over effect of cetylpyrinium chloride (CPC) in broiler carcass rinsate and test the effectiveness of a variety of neutralizing agents for counteracting such CPC activity.   

Methods: Broiler carcasses were rinsed in Buffered Peptone Water (BPW) which was spiked with 10⁷ CFU/ml of four serotypes of nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella.  CPC was added in amounts equal to what was previously found to be included in the rinse of a CPC treated and drained carcass.  Salmonella cells were enumerated by plate count on bg-sulfa agar containing nalidixic acid.  Four experimental neutralizers: lecithin, sodium polygalacturonate , poly(vinylsulfate) potassium salt and chondroitin sulfate sodium salt were tested to counteract carryover CPC in Salmonella-spiked carcass rinse. Three replicates for two separate trials, total n = 6, were performed for each neutralizer.

Results: Significantly (P < 0.05) fewer Salmonella were detected in un-neutralized CPC containing rinse (1.0 log) than in the water control (5.5 log).  Lecithin, and poly(vinylsulfate) potassium salt were effective, resulting in numbers of Salmonella that were not different than in the CPC free control (5.5 log, P > 0.05).  Chondroitin sulfate sodium salt was less effective (5.0 log) and sodium polygalacturonate was ineffective (0.3 log).

Significance: Findings indicate that the impact CPC used in poultry processing on detection of Salmonella from carcass rinses may be mitigated by incorporation of lecithin or poly(vinylsulfate) potassium salt in carcass rinse solutions.