Estimation of chicken microbial load using the growth curve parameters of chicken microflora

Chicken microbial loads, estimated through absorbance increase of culture medium inoculated with the contaminant microflora of the carcasses, were compared with total plate counts and psychrotrophic counts obtained on the same carcasses using the pour plate method after 0, 48, 96, and 144 hr stored chicken at 4 to 5 C. For estimating microbial loads on the carcasses, the mathematical relation 1n AO = 1nA1 - R - Kt was used, which was developed by combining the growth and R equations (described in Materials and Methods) and using growth data at 28 C. The values obtained by this method, when compared with those of plating, give correlation coefficients of .94, .91, .88, and .64 for total plate counts after 0, 48, 96, and 144 hr of storage and .94, .83, .82, and .86 for psychrotrophics counts after 0, 48, 96, and 144 hr of cold storage. The method proposed in the present work permits the estimation of psychrotrophics and total counts in no more than 11 hr, which is very promising for industrial applications.