QC-06-060 (RP-834) - Poultry Slaughtering Plants: Concentrations of Microbial Aerosols in Poultry Slaughtering and Processing Plants PDF

Concentrations of airborne microorganisms weremeasured at four poultry slaughtering plants during four onedayvisits using Anderson single- and six-stage viable particle(bioaerosol) samplers. Nonselective bioaerosols includingtotal aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria,and yeasts and molds were measured at approximately 40 sitesin and around each plant. Bioaerosol concentrations werehighest in shackling and defeathering areas and decreasedwith product flow through the plant until they approachedoutside levels in packaging areas. Bioaerosols exhibited alognormal particle size distribution, with a count mediandiameter of 4.26 ± 0.19 m (n = 59) for total aerobic mesophilicbacteria, and 4.17 ± 0.33 m (n = 33) for yeasts and molds.Selected bacteria were speciated from some samples takenduring each visit. Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcusaureas spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Lactobacilliwere detected on 47% (n = 188), 54% (n = 92), 18% (n= 208), 31% (n = 206), and 89% (n = 100) of the samples,respectively. Some of the detections occurred in areas of theplant where meat was exposed following the chilling process.