Broilers Salmonella contamination

Waldroup, A.L., Skinner, J.T., Hierholzer, R.E. and Waldroup, P.W. (1993) An evaluation of fructooligosaccharide in diets for broiler chickens and effects on Salmonellae contamination of carcasses. Poultry Science 72, 643-650. 

Kovarik and Lojda (2000) report that formic acid at 0.5% in the diet can be successfully used on farms to reduce salmonella contamination in feed, excretion of Salmonella spp. and re-infection of chicken populations. Byrd et al. (2001) demonstrated that 0.5% of formic acid added to drinking water pre-slaughter could also control salmonella populations in broilers. 

The most well-known and frequently diagnosed foodborne pathogen in the United States is Salmonella. Some reports indicate that 25-64% of broiler chickens in the United States are contaminated with this organism [67]. Typically responsible for a short-lived gastroenteritis, which may be life-threatening in high-risk populations (elderly, children, immunosuppressed individuals), the infection may turn deadly if it enters the blood stream [62,68]. 

Waldroup et al. (1995) studied the effeet of supplementing citric acid at 1% inclusion in broiler feed, and observed that the number of birds contaminated with Salmonella spp. was increased when compared to the eontrol group. The same researchers found that fumaric acid (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0%) in broiler diets was not... 

Byrd, J.A., Hargis, B.M., Caldwell, D.J., Bailey, R.H., Herron, K.L., McReynolds, J.L., Brewer, R.L., Anderson, R.C., BiseholF, K.M., Callaway, T.R. and Kubena, L.F. (2001) Effeet of laetie acid administration in the drinking water during preslaughter feed withdrawal on salmonella and eampylobacter contamination of broilers. Poultry Science 80 278-283. 

Hinton and Linton (1988) examined eontrolling salmonella infections in broiler chickens by using a mixture of formie and propionic acid (table 1). They demonstrated that under experimental eonditions 6 kg/t of that organic acid blend was effective in preventing intestinal eolonization with Salmonella spp. Ifom naturally or artificially contaminated feed. 

It is important to note that in their extensive and successful study, Wierup et al. (1988) analyzed the livers and caeca of chickens for Salmonella spp. Studies in which adult broilers are processed under commercial conditions are required, to determine if Salmonella occurrence on carcasses is reduced. The need to maintain strict hygiene under processing operations will continue to be necessary to ensure minimal contamination. 

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