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An improved cleaning system to reduce microbial contamination of poultry transport crates in the United Kingdom
Author(s) -
Atterbury R.J.,
Gigante A.M.,
Tinker D.,
Howell M.,
Allen V.M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/jam.14576
Subject(s) - crate , contamination , environmental science , disinfectant , salmonella , nozzle , biology , food science , waste management , chemistry , bacteria , ecology , engineering , mechanical engineering , genetics , organic chemistry
Abstract Aim Following previous research on improving the cleaning of crates used to transport broiler chickens from the farm to the abattoir, a demonstration project was undertaken to investigate improvements in crate washing on a commercial scale. Methods and Results The soak tank of a conventional crate washing system was replaced with a high‐performance washer fitted with high‐volume, high‐pressure nozzles. The wash water could be heated, and a greatly improved filtration system ensured that the nozzles did not lose performance or become blocked. Visual cleanliness scores and microbial counts were determined for naturally contaminated crates which had been randomly assigned to different cleaning protocols. Conclusions When a combination of mechanical energy, heat and chemicals (i.e. detergent and disinfectant) was used, the results showed significant improvements to crate cleaning. Reductions of up to 3·6 and 3·8 log 10 CFU per crate base were achieved for Campylobacter and Enterobacteriaceae, respectively, along with a marked improvement in visual cleanliness. Significance and Impact of the Study Broiler transport crates may become heavily contaminated with faeces and this may contribute to the spread of disease between farms. The results of this trial may be of use in reducing the spread of zoonotic pathogens in the poultry meat supply chain.