Influence of peroxyacetic acid concentration, temperature, pH, and treatment time on antimicrobial efficacy against Salmonella on chicken wings

Peroxyacetic acid (PAA) is commonly used during poultry processing to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella on carcasses and parts. Wash solutions containing PAA are used at varying concentrations during processing and processors use internally validated practices that best suit the needs of the individual establishment. This study was conducted to determine how temperature, pH, and contact time in combination with PAA concentration can affect the survival of Salmonella on poultry. The effectiveness of PAA in reducing the population of Salmonella on chicken wings was dependent on the concentration and temperature of the PAA solutions. The pH or contact time had no effects (P > 0.05) on total Salmonella or Salmonella Infantis reduction (log CFU/mL). Treatment with 0 ppm PAA at 27°C did not reduce (P > 0.05) total Salmonella or Salmonella Infantis compared to the inoculated, untreated control; in contrast, treatment at 4°C and 0 ppm PAA reduced (P < 0.05) total Salmonella and Salmonella Infantis. Treatments applied at 4°C significantly reduced (P < 0.05) total Salmonella at 50, 200, and 500 ppm PAA, compared to treatment at 27°C among the same PAA concentration. The population of Salmonella Infantis was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) at 4°C with 0, 50, 200, 500, and 1,000 ppm PAA among the same PAA concentration, compared to treatment at 27°C. Treatment conditions, such as temperature, can impact the effectiveness of PAA used as an antimicrobial treatment during poultry processing, and the results from this study can provide useful insights that could assist poultry processors to effectively incorporate PAA into antimicrobial intervention systems.