Research Article

The effect of the lactic acid addition to drinking water on the hygiene and quality of chicken broiler meat

Małgorzata Jakubowska¹, Józefa Gardzielewska¹, Tadeusz Karamucki¹, Artur Rybarczyk¹, Danuta Czernomysy-Furowicz¹, Paulius Matusevičius²

¹West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

²Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, Kaunas, Lithuania

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(4), 2014, 45‒54

Abstract. The objective of the study was to check whether the application of 0.4% lactic acid solution to chicken broilers during pre–slaughter turnover causes a decrease in the bacterial contamination level of the meat and the technological meat quality. The study included 60 chicken broilers, Ross 308, which were subjected to pre-slaughter fasting for 12 hours. The birds were divided into two groups: the control, which was given clean drinking water, and the experimental group, which was given 0.4% lactic acid solution. 24 h after the slaughter samples were taken from pectoral muscle in order to assess the total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, Salmonella ssp. and Campylobacter bacteria. In the collected material the presence of the Salmonella ssp. or Campylobacter bacteria was not detected. The application of 0.4% lactic acid solution to chicken broilers 12 hours pre-slaughter showed a positive tendency to decrease the number of aerobic microorganisms in the chicken pectoral muscle. The mean number of the aerobic bacteria in the control group muscles was 5.2 x 10⁵ whilst in the experimental group it was half the amount and was equal to 2.7 x 10⁵. The lactic acid solution did not alter the technological meat quality.

Keywords: chickens, lactic acid, meat quality, microorganisms, pre-slaughter turnover