In USA, almost 6 million people get sick from foodborne illness 1,300 die anually. Cientists of the Center of Disese Control (Department of Food Safety) calculate that approximately 50% of the cases are due to contamination by Salmonella sp, present in derivatives of chicken.
The maintenance of low bacterial contamination levels in chicken carcasses is also essential in the quality of the final product, being directly related to the expiration date, aspect, odor, consistency and consumer well-being.
The Salmonella sp, even though not accepted globally as part of the natural external microflora of live poultry, appears frequently in slaughtered chicken, representing a potential risk for the health of the final consumer. The measures adopted today for control of this contamination in the process of chicken slaughter are efficient, as long as they are rigorously followed, for example:
- Care in the technique of evisceration;
- Washing of carcasses with chlorinated water;
- Cooling of carcasses with chlorinated water;
- Continuous exchange of chiller water to avoid accumulation of organic matter;
Traditionally, chlorination is an important way of contamination control, but it presents some disavantadges:
- In low temperatures, chlorine has its microbicide activity decreased. Increase in chlorine levels lead to organoleptic alterations of the final product.
- Chlorine in the presence of organic matter promotes the formation of toxical organochlorine compounds that are controlled in many importer countries, like Japan and the European Community.
Based on this, PERÓXIDOS DO BRASIL has developed the peracetic acid line PROXITANE®, for a better decontamination of chicken carcasses, with the following advantages:
- The products of degradation have low toxicity (water, oxygen and traces of acetic acid).
- It’s effective against molds, yeasts, bacteria (including spores), viruses and algae. No development of any microbial resistance has been observed. Promotes oxidation and undoes sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds (-S-S) from the microbial enzymes, interrupting metabolic processes.
- Alters the chemical-osmotic balance of the microbial membrane.
- Oxidizes the cytoplasmic membrane of the microorganism, and can cause disruption of cell wall.
- The action of peracetic action is potentialized by its other components (acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide).
- No resistance mechanism against the peracetic acid has been observed yet.
- Peracetic acid isn't carcinogen, mutagenic nor allergenic.
- Since the resultant products of its decompostion are water, oxygen and traces of acetic acid, it assists in wastewater treatment.
- It’s totally solluble in water, in any proportion, and doesn’t form any foam.
- Doesn’t form toxic derivatives in the presence or organic matter.
- Doesn’t give any strange taste to the carcasses;
- It’s effective at low temperatures.
- The residual products are inocuous.
- There is a reduction of up to 99% in the count of total mesophilics, with elimination of all of Salmonella sp.