Recovery of Aeromonas hydrophila from Carcasses and Processing Water in a Broiler Processing Operation

Aeromonas hydrophila , a potential pathogen associated with cases of human diarrhea, was enumerated using a rinse method on broiler carcasses and in processing water at selected locations in a commercial processing plant. A. hydrophila was detected on 98% of all carcasses tested, and 92% of all chill water samples; scald and rinse water samples were negative for this organism. Mean numbers on carcasses ranged for 28 CFU/ml of rinse fluid, detected immediately after the chiller, to 580 CFU/ml of rinse fluid at the post-evisceration stage. Water chilling and washing resulted in a significant reduction in A. hydrophila numbers on carcasses, while refrigerated storage (48 h) resulted in a significant increase. Data suggest that isolates recovered from carcasses may likely have been of intestinal origin and that the evisceration step was a probable cause of contamination. A. hydrophila levels on carcasses and processing waters showed no correlation to other bacteriological parameters which might be used in a process evaluation program.