Effects of Lactic and Acetic Acid Treatments Oncampylobacter Jejuniinoculated Onto Chicken Leg and Breast Meat During Storage at 4c and −18c

Chicken leg and breast meat samples were inoculated with Campylobacter jejuni (ATCC 33291) at a level of 4–5 log most probable number/cm2 and dipped in lactic acid (LA; 1 and 3%) and acetic acid (AA; 1 and 2%) solutions for 10 min. Control samples were dipped in tap water. Samples were packed in polystyrene trays covered by stretch film and stored at 4C for 10 days and at−18C for 6 months. Immediately after organic acid treatments, C. jejuni counts were reduced by 0.36–1.98 log cfu/cm2 as compared to the control samples treated with tap water. C. jejuni counts decreased significantly on leg (P < 0.05) and breast meat (P < 0.01) during storage at 4C. Although the pathogen survived in all samples during 6 months of storage at−18C, its level decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in both leg and breast meat samples. It was concluded that the treatment of chicken parts with LA or AA was effective especially for reducing initial C. jejuni population. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Because contamination of chicken meat with Campylobacter spp. is unavoidable, there is need for a decontamination step in poultry processing. The treatment of chicken meats with lactic acid or acetic acid, which are classified as generally recognized as safe, was found advisable for reducing the initial level of Campylobacter jejuni. Additionally, this process will be beneficial for extending shelf life of chicken parts by reducing the total microbial load.