Survival of Salmonella on Raw Poultry Exposed to 10% Lemon Juice and Vinegar Washes

Introduction: Formative research found a subset of consumers reported using acidic solutions (diluted lemon/lime juice or vinegar) to wash raw poultry.  While studies have demonstrated the ineffectiveness of acidic marinades to eliminate pathogens from raw meat, the effect of acidic washes on raw poultry has not previously been examined.

Purpose: Determine the fate of Salmonella enterica 19214 inoculated onto raw poultry and subsequently exposed to acidic washes similar to those described by consumers.  It was hypothesized that this would demonstrate the ineffectiveness of such washes to make raw poultry safe or pathogen free.

Methods: Chicken breasts were inoculated with approximately 5 x 10⁸ CFU of Salmonella enterica 19214 (resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin and chloramphenicol).  Inoculated breasts were then washed for 10 s, 30 s, 2 min or 5 min in control (tap water) or acidic (10% vinegar or 10% lemon juice) solutions.  Following washing, S. enterica 19214 levels were determined both in the wash water and on the chicken using antibiotic media.

Results: Following washing with 10% vinegar (pH 3.1) for the 4 time periods, 1.7 x 10⁷ - 3.3 x 10⁷ CFU S. enterica were recovered from the chicken while 4.3 x 10⁶ - 7.6 x 10⁶ S. enterica were recovered from the vinegar wash solution.   Following washing with 10% lemon juice (pH 2.6), 1.2 x 10⁷ - 2.8 x 10⁷ CFU were recovered from chicken, while 1.9 x 10⁶ - 1.7 x 10⁷ were recovered from the lemon juice wash itself.  Results indicate that acid washes result in live Salmonella both in the wash as well as remaining on the chicken.

Significance: Washing raw poultry in a diluted lemon juice or vinegar solution is an inefficient method for removing S. enterica and results in live pathogens both in the wash water and on the chicken, increasing the risk for cross contamination.