Analysis of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Slaughtering Operations for the Application of HACCP

HACCP 적용을 위한 도계처리 공정내 미생물 오염의 분석

The application of HACCP system, which was adopted by Codex Alimentarius Committee for the safe meat and poultry production, is one of the urgent task for competing in the world trade markets. But there have been no useful analytical studies to identify the causes of contamination in the poultry meat processing plants in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the potential hazards during the operations by the microbiological examination for the poultry meat processing plant (20,000 birds capacity a day) located in Kangwon province. In spite of air contamination of work places, it may not directly affect the surface contamination of poultry meats. But the risk of Campylobacter jejuni/coli contamination was high. The number of total count was decreased about ten times, but remarkable changes of microbial contamination could not be recognized in each procedure during the operations. The washing water was already contaminated as much as $10^{3-6}CFU/ml$ in SPC before the operations. It means that to keep water tanks hygienic is a primary step to prevent the occurrences of microbial contamination. The overflow and recirculation of water in scalding, washing, and chilling was aslo an important factor for a hygienic control. Based on this study, the followings could be regarded as an important factors for hygenic control in the poultry slaughtering plants on a small scale. The temperature of water used for scalding should be constantly maintained on a required temperature, and the overflow rate of 1~1.5 liter per bird. The carcass surface and the body cavity should be washed thoroughly and the cross-contamination due to facilities, workers, and tools should be prevented. The chilling water sholud be maintained under 5$\circ$C of temperature with ice and overflow, and residual chlorine level of 50 ppm.