1997 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 49-52
In a newly-built layer processing plant in Shizuoka prefecture, a survey of bacterial contamination was conducted and the adequacy of improvements aimed at minimizing the level of contamination was assessed. The carcasses after defeathering and after chilling as well as finished chicken products showed rather heavy bacterial contamination, a mean standard plate count (SPC) of log 3.7 CFU/cm2 (3.7), 3.1 and 4.3, respectively. After improving in the defeathering machines and maintaining chlorine concentration at a level of 0.4 ppm in the chilling water, SPC on the carcasses after defeathering was adequately decreased to 3.0, but that in chiken products was inadequately decreased to 4.2. When the products were processed by workers wearing disposable rubber gloves, SPC of the chicken products decreased to 3.4. These findings suggested that the bacterial contamination of the products was due to the workers wearing cotton gloves, and also indicated that bacterial control management of the gloves worn is indispensable to the production of sanitary chicken products at this plant.
