Effect of neutral electrolyzed water as antimicrobial intervention treatment of chicken meat and on trihalomethanes formation

Abstract

Summary: Salmonella is the most common pathogen in poultry associated to foodborne outbreaks. There is concern about the use of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) during antimicrobial interventions in broiler chicken processing because of trihalomethane (THM) generation through oxidation of organic matter. In this study, we showed the effectiveness of neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) in broiler chickens, and their physicochemical properties after antimicrobial intervention. Neutral electrolyzed water showed 10 times higher antimicrobial effect on Salmonella pure culture than NaClO treatments but similar results were achieved on inoculated chicken carcasses. The mechanism of action of NEW was revealed by microscopic studies, showing cell swelling and morphologic changes on membrane. Neutral electrolyzed water was effective in reducing total viable counts and coliforms on broiler chicken carcasses, without color and pH modification. No THM were detected on chicken meat using 50 mg/L of either antimicrobial agents but when using higher concentration, THM were generated. Only 0.037 ± 0.001 μg/kg of chloroform was detected after ≥100 mg/L NEW treatments, whereas bromoform and chlorodibromomethane were generated after similar concentration of NaClO treatments. Neutral electrolyzed water represents a safe alternative for antimicrobial broiler chicken intervention owing to competitive production cost, safe handling, low corrosion capacity, and low toxicity because of lack of by-product generation.

Keywords

• neutral electrolyzed water
• trihalomethane
• antimicrobial intervention