Comparison of four sampling methods for microbiological quantification on broiler carcasses

The aim of this study was to evaluate four different sampling methods for quantification of bacterial contamination of broiler carcasses at slaughter. Various sampling techniques are used worldwide for sampling carcass surfaces and the results are often presented with different units of measurement, such as cfu (or log cfu) per mL, per cm(2), per carcass, or per gram. Sampling was performed in a commercial abattoir with naturally contaminated carcasses (n = 100). Sampling methods compared were: whole-carcass rinse (WCR) in 200 mL liquid, 10 g of neck skin and breast skin, and gauze cloth swabs (3 sites x 100 cm(2)). Petrifilms were used for analyses of the samples for total plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli. The results were converted into log cfu per cm(2).The recoveries of Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli were highest from samples collected by WCR, followed by neck-skin excision (recovered 80-100% of WCR), then breast-skin excision (recovered 50-65% of WCR), and finally swabbing (recovered 40-50% of WCR). In conclusion, the WCR sampling method provides the best reflection of the extent of carcass contamination.