Comparison of Media for Determining Temperature Abuse of Fresh Broiler Carcasses Using Impedance Microbiology

Experiments were conducted to determine the ideal medium for detection of temperature abuse of fresh broiler chicken using impedance microbiological techniques. In three separate trials, 15 ready-to-cook broiler chicken carcasses were obtained from the chiller exit of three separate processing plants. Five carcasses were sampled immediately (day 0), 5 carcasses were sampled after temperature abusing at 25°C for 12 h and holding at 3°C for 6 days (temperature abused), and the remaining 5 carcasses were sampled after holding at 3°C for 7 days (day 7 controls). Whole-carcass rinses were diluted by placing 1 ml from each carcass into 9 ml of each of the following media: (1) brain heart infusion broth (BHI), (2) EC broth with 3% added dextrose (ECD), (3) CM medium with 2% added dextrose (CMD), (4) EC broth (EC), and (5) CM medium (CM). The diluted samples were assayed in duplicate at 43°C using impedance microbiological techniques. Once a detection time (DT) was recorded, one ml of the sample was immediately recovered from the module well, diluted to 10^-6, 10^-7, and 10^-8, and spread plated onto plate count agar. Two colonies from each carcass on plates with the highest dilution were randomly selected and identified. Since both gram-positive and gram-negative genera of bacteria were isolated from BHI-cultured carcass rinses and were responsible for changing the impedance of the medium, DTs were variable. EC and ECD media were not suitable for conducting temperature-abuse determinations. Using CMD medium to select for the growth of gram-negative bacteria, specifically E. coli , temperature-abuse determinations were more accurate than using a general medium, such as BHI. CMD appears to be the most effective medium tested to conduct temperature abuse determinations using impedance microbiological techniques.