Date of Graduation

8-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Food Science (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Food Science

Advisor/Mentor

Steven C. Ricke

Committee Member

Kristen Gibson

Second Committee Member

Young Min Kwon

Keywords

Acid Sanitizers, Peracetic Acid, Poultry Processing, Reuse Water, Sodium Bisulfate, Water Conservation

Abstract

As human populations increase in numbers, access to clean, fresh water is becoming increasingly difficult to balance between agricultural and municipal demands. Water scarcity is a limiting factor of food production in many countries, whether they are emerging or established economies. In conventional poultry processing systems, access to water is particularly critical for the maintenance and disinfection of processing areas, as well as in processing operations such as scalding, chilling, and carcass washing. The need for sustainable alternatives to single-use water supplies is becoming increasingly more urgent, and as a result, the implementation of water reuse in poultry processing plants has emerged as an attractive alternative means to meet water requirements during processing. To effectively reuse water, it is essential to decontaminate the water with chemical sanitation.

Currently, peracetic acid (PAA) is widely utilized in poultry processing water to disinfect the final product and reduce bacterial loads in the water. However, PAA can be corrosive and potentially dangerous to processing workers. As such, sodium bisulfate (SBS) may be utilized in poultry processing facilities due to its antimicrobial potential. This thesis investigates the impact these acid-based sanitizers have on bacterial loads and potential Salmonella Typhimurium contamination within poultry processing reuse water. A literature review is provided, detailing the reuse of water within conventional poultry processing systems, the efficacy of acid sanitizers, and an evaluation of potential mitigation strategies (Chapter 1). It also details the rationale for decreasing the environmental footprint of poultry processing and how reusing water plays a potential role in this aspect. The first research chapter evaluates the ability of acid sanitizers to inactivation Salmonella Typhimurium in reuse poultry processing water (Chapter 2). The second research chapter evaluates the ability of acid sanitizers to impact bacterial loads and the microbiome in reuse poultry processing water (Chapter 3). Data presented herein will provide novel insight into reuse water, remediation of Salmonella, and impacts on the microbiome caused by application of acid sanitizers.

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