Two similar trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on live performance and carcass characteristics of broilers and on incidence and level of salmonellae on prechill broiler carcasses. The FOS was fed at two levels (0 and .375%) in a complete factorial arrangement with two levels (0 and 55 mg/kg) of bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) in nutritionally complete diets. Broilers were grown to 49 days of age, and samples were processed to determine dressing percentage, abdominal fat content, and most probable number salmonellae on prechill carcasses. The addition of FOS to nutritionally complete broiler diets at .375% had little consistent effect on growth rate, feed utilization, mortality, carcass dressing percentage, abdominal fat content, or incidence or severity of salmonellae contamination of processed broiler carcasses. There appeared to be an antagonism between FOS and BMD on both live performance and salmonellae contamination of processed broiler carcasses.

Two similar trials were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the whole carcass rinse technique in combination with a most probable number (MPN) procedure for estimating the number of salmonellae on postchill broilers. Birds were reared in litter-floored pens and inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium (10(8) cfu/mL) on Days 2, 7, and 14. In each of the two trials six carcasses were consecutively rinsed four times. Each carcass was rinsed with 100 mL of sterile water in sterile plastic bags using an automated shaking device. Salmonellae were enumerated using a three-tube MPN procedure in selenite cystine broth. There were no statistical differences in log10 MPN salmonellae per milliliter of recovered rinse fluid due to trial or consecutive rinse. In several cases salmonellae were not recovered in the initial rinse but were recovered from consecutive rinses of the same carcass. A large amount of variation in MPN levels of salmonellae among individual carcasses occurred within each consecutive rinse. The data suggested that only a percentage of the total salmonellae present on a postchill carcass were recovered with each consecutive rinse, and the organisms were firmly attached prior to processing.

No abstract

Two similar trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of litter condition on microbiological quality of freshly killed (feathers intact) and processed broilers. Commercial broilers were reared to 49 days of age on new or previously used litter. Birds in half of the replicate pens were inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium via the drinking water on Days 2, 7, 14, and 21. Broilers were sampled at the following processing locations: postkill, postpick, prechill, and postchill. Postchill carcasses from birds raised on previously used litter did not have significantly different aerobic plate counts, levels of coliforms, or numbers of salmonellae as compared with carcasses from birds raised on new litter. Live bird inoculation did significantly increase levels of salmonellae on the fully processed carcass.

Two trials were conducted to compare the standard culture procedure and the Report Salmonella Visual Immunoassay for detection of salmonellae in rinse fluid recovered from raw poultry carcasses. Both assays were evaluated with and without preenrichment in lactose broth prior to enrichment in selenite cystine broth. Live birds were inoculated via the drinking water prior to processing to ensure a high degree of carcass contamination. Prechill carcasses were sampled using 200 mL of sterile water. Results indicated that lactose preenrichment was not necessary for salmonellae evaluation using standard culture procedures. However, the Report assay produced fewer false-negative results if lactose preenrichment was utilized.