Most probable number cultures for assessing Salmonella contamination of eviscerated broiler carcasses.

Rinse fluids collected from eight different lots of commercially processed broiler carcasses were cultured for salmonellae by a meat probable number method. Most probable number values of 80 or less were obtained from all carcasses in three of the eight lots, but two lots contained carcasses which yielded more than 1000 salmonellae. Similar numbers of salmonellae were recovered in repeated rinses of the same carcasses, suggesting that only a small proportion of the total population was recovered in each rinse. Five lots originated from flocks of known Salmonella status. More salmonella were recovered from carcasses which originated from flocks infected in the first week of life than from flocks infected at a later date. Carcasses from a flock which was processed immediately after a contaminated flock yielded more salmonellae than carcasses processed at the beginning of the day in a clean plant.