Bacteriological Profile of Dressed Broilers and Its Public Health Implications

Abstract

Bacteriological study was conducted to determine the occurrence of bacteria in 52 dressed broiler with intact skin (n = 26) and without skin (n = 26) and to demonstrate the role of packaging and pretreatment chilling on the changes of carcass quality during the period from July to August 2000. The values of total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), total streptococcal count (TStC) and total staphylococcal count (TSC) were determined for meat samples of thigh and breast and swab samples of skin and visceral surfaces of the broilers with intact skin (n = 80) and without skin (n = 80). The values of TVC, TCC, TStC and TSC in both cases with intact skin and without skin were compared. The results indicate that the dressed broilers with intact skin kept in packed condition after prechilled and frozen could maintain the good quality of sensory characteristics up to a maximum period of 10 days storage. Of the160 samples examined bacteriologically, 39.06% had contamination with different bacteria, of which   Staphylococcus spp. (90.63%), Streptococcus spp. (30.00%), Escherichia coli (60.63%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.50%), Micrococcus spp. (18.75%) and Salmonella spp. (11.88%). It appears from these results that the current systems of pretreatment, sanitation, storing temperature and processing are necessary to be improved to ensure the quality assurance and quality control program and subsequently maintain the bacteriological and organoleptic quality of dressed broilers, thus minimizing the potential health hazards associated with contaminants gaining access to the dressed or processed broilers.

Key words: Dressed broilers; bacteriology; public health implications

doi: 10.3329/bjvm.v2i1.1939

Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2004). 2 (1) : 69-73