Cross‐contamination during the scalding and plucking of broilers

Abstract

1. Experiments were carried out in two poultry slaughtering plants to estimate cross‐contamination occurring during the scalding and plucking of broilers. 2. To simulate the external (dust and feather) and internal (intestinal) contamination of broilers the carcasses were artificially contaminated with a strain of Escherichia coli K12. 3. Cross‐contamination occurred at both stages in the processing when the carcasses had been contaminated externally; when the broilers had been contaminated internally slight cross‐contamination occurred only during plucking. 4. Broilers which were contaminated externally before scalding resulted in more numerous carcasses that were contaminated after the whole slaughtering procedure than those contaminated internally. 5. In one processing plant there were fewer contaminated carcasses after cooling than after plucking, while in the other plant no differences were found in the number of positive carcasses after these two stages in processing.