Recovery of bacteria from broiler carcass respiratory tracts before and after immersion scalding

Occlusion of the trachea and decapitation were compared with a conventional unilateral neck cut for effects on bacteria entering into the respiratory tract of broiler carcasses during scalding. In experiment 1, the trachea was occluded prior to the carcass entering the scalder to determine if bacterial recovery from the respiratory tract could be diminished. The first carcass was removed at the end of bleeding, and a plastic cable tie was placed around the neck of a second carcass and tightened to occlude the trachea. After proceeding through the triple-tank immersion scalder, the second carcass (trachea occluded) was removed, and a third carcass (without the trachea occluded during scalding) was removed. In experiment 2, after being stunned, carcasses were unilaterally bled or decapitated. Unilaterally bled and decapitated carcasses were removed at the end of bleeding and after scalding. In both experiments, trachea were cannulated, and respiratory tract rinses were collected. For experiment 1, the numbers of bacteria recovered (log10 cfu/mL of rinse) from prescald nonoccluded carcass respiratory tract rinses were 2.5 Escherichia coli, 2.6 coliforms, and 3.2 total aerobes. Respiratory tract rinses from carcasses sampled postscald (without occluding the trachea) had higher bacteria numbers at 4.6 E. coli, 5.0 coliforms, and 5.4 total aerobes. Respiratory tract rinses from carcasses with the trachea occluded prior to scalding had the lowest number of bacteria at 1.9 E. coli, 2.3 coliforms, and 2.7 total aerobes. In experiment 2, the numbers of bacteria recovered from respiratory tract rinses of unilaterally bled or decapitated carcasses did not differ prescald or postscald, although all postscald values were higher (P < 0.05). Results confirmed that bacteria numbers increased within the respiratory tract during immersion scalding, the increase could have been prevented by occluding the trachea prior to scalding, and decapitation did not alter the number of bacteria recovered from respiratory tract rinses prior to or following immersion scalding.