Suitability of Different Bacterial Groups for Determining Faecal Contamination During Post Scalding Stages in the Processing of Broiler Chickens

Several bacterial groups were tested for their suitability in determining faecal contamination of carcasses during those stages in poultry processing which follow scalding. Counts of Enterobacteriaceae obtained with the ‘skin‐maceration’method of sampling gave a reliable indication of faecal contamination only when the birds had been scalded at 60° C or above. With lower scald temperatures, none of the bacterial groups tested was found to be suitable as an index of faecal contamination during subsequent processing.