ADENOSINE-TRIPHOSPHATE BIOLUMINESCENCE AS A METHOD TO DETERMINE MICROBIAL LEVELS IN SCALD AND CHILL TANKS AT A POULTRY ABATTOIR

According to Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs developed for the poultry industry, poultry processing waters should be actively monitored to minimize cross-contamination between chicken carcasses. In order to monitor HACCP programs, a test is required that provides results on a real time basis. A modified adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence test has been developed that can assess microbial levels in poultry processing waters within 15 min. A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of this test for examining scald, prechill, and chill tank waters. The results showed that the modified ATP bioluminescence method gave results comparable to plate counts. The microbial levels were dependent on the tank and the time of sampling. The highest microbial levels were detected in the scald tank. In all three tanks, the microbial levels increased over time during the day.