Treatment of fresh poultry carcases with emulsions of glycerol monocaprate (monocaprin) to reduce contamination with Campylobacter and psychrotrophic bacteria

1. A previous study has shown that emulsions of monocaprin in citrate lactate buffer at pH 4 center dot 1-4 center dot 3 are highly active in killing Campylobacter in water, where they reduce viable bacterial counts by more than 6 log10 colony forming units (cfu) in 1 min at a concentration of 1 center dot 25 mM (0 center dot 03%). 2. The present study was carried out to evaluate whether monocaprin emulsions could be used to kill Campylobacter on raw poultry. 3. It was shown that immersion of naturally contaminated chicken legs in 20 mM (0 center dot 5%) monocaprin emulsion at pH 4 center dot 1 for 1 min at 20 degrees C reduced the number of Campylobacter by 2 center dot 0 to 2 center dot 7 log10 cfu. Pre-chill dipping of whole carcases into 20 mM monocaprin emulsion in the slaughterhouse also caused a significant reduction in Campylobacter contamination. 4. Immersion in monocaprin emulsions at pH 4 center dot 1 was also assessed as a means to reduce the number of psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria. There were lower psychrotrophic bacteria counts on treated chicken parts than on untreated controls after storage at 3 degrees C for up to 14 d. 5. Immersion in emulsions of monocaprin, which is a natural lipid classified as GRAS, may be a feasible method to reduce the number of Campylobacter and spoilage bacteria on raw poultry. This method could reduce the risk of human exposure to Campylobacter, and at the same time increase the shelf-life of poultry products.