The effect of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma on salmonella enterica and campylobacter jejuni on raw poultry

Foodborne illness is a major health concern with an estimated 76 million cases annually. A great deal of effort and finances are focused on reducing and eliminating the incidence of foodborne illness. Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni, pathogens commonly found on raw poultry are the leading causes of foodborne illness in the United States. If food is cooked to an appropriate temperature the pathogens are killed and the food is safe for consumption. However, consumer handling often creates the risk for foodborne illness due to situations such as temperature abuse and cross-contamination. Chicken are known to harbor both Salmonella and Campylobacter in their intestines and readily shed them through feces. Shedding of these pathogens can lead to contamination of whole flocks. Campylobacter is carried asymptomatically in chickens making it difficult to detect in the animal. Once in the processing facility pathogens both internalized in the chicken as well as carried on skin and feathers create a risk of a contaminated finished product. Poultry processing plants have many interventions such as chemical rinses like chlorine and tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) established to reduce these pathogens from the surface of the chickens, yet Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni are still present on products available to consumers and they are still the leading cause of foodborne illness. Irradiation technology has been proven to substantially reduce pathogens on the surface of food including poultry but has not been embraced by consumers. This leaves a serious need for an intervention technology that can be utilized, in conjunction with other methods in place to further reduce or eliminate pathogens on the surface of food. When considering raw chicken it is important to find an intervention that is non-thermal, producing no heat to cook the meat or cause any adverse effects to the sensory aspects of the food. Safety for the consumer and cost to the processing company are also important. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is a new technology that has the potential to be an effective intervention. Being non-thermal it will not partially cook the food and leaves no residual material on the surface that can be harmful to the consumer.consumers. This leaves a serious need for an intervention technology that can be utilized, in conjunction with other methods in place to further reduce or eliminate pathogens on the surface of food. When considering raw chicken it is important to find an intervention that is non-thermal, producing no heat to cook the meat or cause any adverse effects to the sensory aspects of the food. Safety for the consumer and cost to the processing company are also important. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is a new technology that has the potential to be an effective intervention. Being non-thermal it will not partially cook the food and leaves no residual material on the surface that can be harmful to the consumer. were significantly reduced on both surfaces after only 15 seconds. Reduction was less impressive on background microflora on the surface of the chicken. No adverse effects were noticed on the surface of the chicken after plasma application. This study demonstrates the feasibility of DBD plasma as a non-thermal intervention to further reduce foodborne pathogens on the surface of raw poultry.M.S., Biological Sciences -- Drexel University, 201