Current Perspectives on Probiotics in Poultry Preharvest Food Safety

In the United States, consumption of chicken and turkey continues to increase and there has been a shift in the dynamics of poultry production. With these significant changes, effective strategies for intervention are required to maintain the food safety of these products to protect public health. In recent years, there have been growing concerns regarding antibiotic resistance, prohibition of growth promoters, and consumer demand for antibiotic or chemical-free produce. Such factors are critical in identifying potentially safe and alternative strategies in bird production. In this context, considering the use of probiotics in poultry production would be prudent as food safety remains a contemporary issue. Their implementation has great potential in delivering promising results by reducing the intestinal pathogenic load and thereby reducing the subsequent contamination in poultry production. Several mechanisms of action have been proposed including resistance to colonization, competitive exclusion, production of toxic and inhibitory compounds, competition for nutrients and stimulation of the immune system. Probiotics also offer potential host-protective health effects and bird growth benefits by modulating the gut microflora.