Product Quality Research Programs

Discover methods to prevent bacterial foodborne pathogens from contaminating poultry processing plant environments and finished poultry products.  Strategies may include investigations of poultry production practices and transportation of live birds from farms to processing plants.

Determine ways to improve the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook poultry products.  Research will focus on ways to extend or predict product shelf life and designing appropriate sampling plans.

Major Activities Under Way:

The following research projects are in the planning stage.

The mechanism by which trisodium phosphate use in chicken processing works to reduce the incidence and concentration of Campylobacter species will be determined.  Additionally, explore the efficacy of other surfactant chemicals for preventing the attachment of Campylobacter and adhesion of fecal material to carcass surfaces during processing will be explored.  The prevalence of Campylobacter and Arcobacter species on turkey farms from the environmental sampling of litter in grower houses will be determined.  Methodology to differentiate and enumerate Arcobacter from Campylobacter species will be optimized.  We will determine if the application of ultraviolet and infrared light can reduce the concentration of Campylobacter on the surface of packaged boneless and skinless chicken breast lobes.  Furthermore, we will determine if there is an organoleptic difference in cooked breast meat after the light treatments.

Progress (past 5 years):

Each of the projects mentioned above, is now the design or planning stages.  These projects will be the basis of the thesis research for three M.S. degree candidates in the Department of Food Science and Technology.

Cooperative Work:

I am working with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and poultry processors in the state of Virginia on these projects.  Research funding will be requested from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Poultry & Egg, chicken and turkey producers and processors, and industry suppliers of surfactant chemicals and food packaging materials.

Future Plans:

Another research effort is planned with Purdue University.  This project will expand on the second project described above.  The prevalence of Campylobacter and Escherichia coli will be determined from samples collected at turkey farms, transport vehicles and processing plants in the states of Indiana, Virginia and North Carolina.  Additionally, this project will look at the diversity and frequency of biotypes of Campylobacter on the farm, during transport, and throughout first processing.  Identification of species and antibiotic resistance patterns are planned.