Occurrence of Salmonella sp. in poultry carcasses evaluated from the retail trade between 2007 and 2013 in Paraná state, Brazil

Abstract

Poultry meat is often involved as a vehicle for microorganisms that cause food-borne diseases. Salmonella sp. is a major pathogen involved in outbreaks around the world. Based on its importance, the objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in frozen and chilled poultry carcasses slaughtered and marketed in the western region of Paraná state, Brazil. A total of 340 samples were collected between January 2007 and April 2013, with 66 (19.41%) carcasses positive for Salmonella sp. It can be concluded from the results obtained that the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in poultry carcasses remains high, even though it is a product marketed refrigerated or frozen, methods considered appropriate for food preservation. A lower occurrence result was expected due to the 14-year implementation of the national pathogen reduction program established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply aimed at a gradual reduction in the occurrence of Salmonella sp. in these products through constant monitoring of carcasses immediately after slaughter.

Keywords

• Chilled carcass. Frozen carcass. Poultry slaughter. Occurrence. PRP.