boards on fabricating tables normally con-
tain approximately 77,500 bacteria per
square centimeter. Slicers, conveyors, and
packaging equipment may increase the con-
tamination of processed meats by 1,000 to
50,000 bacteria per gram, depending on san-
itation practices.
Pathogen Control
In the past, meat and poultry products
have accounted for 23% of foodborne illness
outbreaks and 27% of the cases of outbreak-
associated foodborne disease for which a
food vehicle was implicated. During the
same period, meat and poultry were associ-
ated with 10% and 5%, respectively, of the
reported foodborne outbreak deaths.
During the scalding, evisceration, rinsing,
and chilling phases of poultry processing, the
carcasses are quite vulnerable to contamina-
tion for species of SalmonellaandCampy-
lobacter, Aermonas hydrophila, Listeria
monocytogenes, and other microorganisms of
public health concern. Campylobacter has
presented a serious problem for the poultry
industry because it is commonly present on
raw poultry and is the leading cause of food-
borne illness in United States with an esti-
mated infection rate of 1,000 per 100,000
people (Zhao et al., 2003). Poultry has been
implicated in campylobacteriosis that has
occurred sporadically without a finite deter-
mination of the mode of transmission. The
design of poultry processing equipment,
especially the plucking equipment, is such
that adequate cleaning is difficult. The major
risk in evisceration is the spilling of the gut
content onto the carcass. Furthermore, the
knife and hands of the meat inspector are
often heavily contaminated.Campylobacter
jejuni will spread during the harvesting
process. Regardless of the type of harvesting,
heavily infected poultry flocks may result in a
contamination rate of 100% for the finished
product. Immersion chilling poses a contam-
ination threat because of entrapment of
microorganisms in skin channels and with
the swelling of collagenous material in the
neck flap area. These highly contaminated
carcass parts should be trimmed to lower the
microbial load. Freezing is known to reduce
campylobacter populations, presumably by
ice crystal damage to cells and by dehydra-
tion. Current research results indicate that
rinsing poultry carcasses removes a small
amount ofSalmonellaorganisms that may be
present. Species ofSalmonellaandCampy-
lobacteraffix themselves to the skin and flesh
of poultry so tightly that they become part of
food intended for human consumption.
Shapton and Shapton (1991) emphasized
the need for cleaning of roofs over food
manufacturing areas. Process equipment and
exhaust stacks may be vented through the
roof. If feasible, roof-mounted process
equipment should be enclosed with a floor to
separate it from the processing area. Parti-
cles, especially hygroscopic matter, can
deposit on the roof, especially if it is flat.
When left unattended, this area may attract
birds, rodents, or insects, which are known
carriers of Salmonella organisms and of
L. monocytogenes. Pools of water will
encourage these pests. A minimum slope of
1% is recommended to ensure drainage.
L. monocytogenesis a challenge for meat
processors because it is very difficult to
eliminate this pathogen from the processing
plants. It survives cold temperatures, toler-
ates salt and nitrite, and can attach to stain-
less steel surfaces. Thus, equipment can
easily provide a means of transfer of
L. monocytogenes from one location to
another, even after cleaning and sanitizing
(Sebranek, 2003). The incidence ofL. mono-
cytogenes is approximately 15 to 50% for
poultry carcasses, 20% of dry sausage and
fresh sausage, and 10% or more of ground
beef samples evaluated. Growth can also
occur in some cooked meat products afterMeat and Poultry Plant Sanitation 301