Poultry processors are faced with a long list of challenges, many of which are centered around food safety. To ensure safe poultry products for consumers, processors must control pathogens that compromise the integrity of poultry.

In addition to the everyday challenges processors face, changing consumer trends and evolving Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) standards require consistent evaluation of pathogen control. The shift away from antibiotic use to provide customers with increased buying options may lead to the potential for higher pathogen load at harvest. Evolving FSIS Campylobacter standards may also require new forms of pathogen control in the plant. These trends give processors an opportunity to re-evaluate food safety interventions to meet these new standards and ensure consumers have access to safe poultry products.

Implications of evolving standards.

Safety is the top priority for all those in the food supply chain. To meet food safety requirements and to ensure consumers have safe products, processors use multi-hurdle approaches to food safety. However, with the new Campylobacter standards expected, a multi-hurdle, multi-technology approach may be more beneficial to reduce both Campylobacter and Salmonella. Some food safety protocols, including current antimicrobials, that are effective against Salmonella may not be as effective against Campylobacter. 

Meeting evolving performance standards may result in reduced public health risk and ultimately result in fewer cases of foodborne illness. Meeting these standards may also reduce processors’ risk of potential financial and brand losses due to recalls and possible outbreaks.

Controlling and reducing bacterial contamination is a constant challenge for processing plant managers. Optimizing pathogen control requires a comprehensive, multi-hurdle, multi-technology approach.

Reducing and controlling the spread of pathogens.

Reducing foodborne pathogens requires incorporating the right technology at the right point of intervention. AviBrom^™, an antimicrobial solution from ARM & HAMMER^™, is part of a multi-hurdle, multi-technology approach to controlling pathogens.

AviBrom is effective at multiple intervention points including chill tanks, plant process water, IOBW, dip tanks and spray applications. AviBrom also improves worker safety and work environment conditions when compared to other antimicrobials and eliminates negative wastewater impacts. It has an approved OSHA permissible exposure limit and is safe to use in commercial processing.

Multiple research studies in both university and commercial settings indicate that AviBrom is effective in reducing levels of both Campylobacter and Salmonella. One study¹ (Figure 1) showed that when used in the IOBW, AviBrom reduced Campylobacter positives from 82.1 percent to 50 percent, indicating that this antimicrobial does reduce harmful pathogens. When combined as a multi-hurdle, multi-technology intervention system, Campylobacter prevalence was again significantly reduced.

Beyond the benefit of combating pathogens, AviBrom is safe for workers and wastewater. This antimicrobial also reduces alloy corrosion in processing facilities, offering a more economical, stable, comprehensive and safe antimicrobial solution compared to competitive products. AviBrom is compatible with concrete, steel and other common construction materials. The solution is also suitable for use in spray chill environments and has been tested against a variety of metals commonly used in processing facilities.

Using AviBrom at critical intervention points as part of a multi-hurdle, multi-technology approach to food safety can help you produce the safest and highest quality poultry products. Contact us to learn how you can improve your food safety protocol with ARM & HAMMER.

1 AviBrom Validation in IOBW. ARM & HAMMER, 2020. Study report and data on file.