VALIDATION OF A 2% LACTIC ACID ANTIMICROBIAL RINSE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHLORINE FOR MOBILE POULTRY SLAUGHTER OPERATIONS By ADITI KANNAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN FOOD SCIENCE

By Aditi Kannan, M.S. Washington State University May 2009 Chair: Karen Killinger Poultry is a known source of foodborne pathogens; therefore, processing interventions to reduce pathogens are critical. Washington mobile poultry slaughter operators wanted to identify an antimicrobial rinse alternative to chlorine to assist with product organic labeling and increase consumer appeal. Lab and field studies were performed evaluating lactic acid as an antimicrobial rinse for poultry. The lab study examined water, chlorine (50-100ppm) and lactic acid (2%) as antimicrobial interventions to reduce Salmonella spp. on inoculated chicken wings. Three replications were performed. For each replication 20 inoculated wings were subjected to each treatment (no rinse, water, chlorine and lactic acid rinse) and were examined for Salmonella on Xylose Lysine Desoxycholate (XLD) agar. The Salmonella counts for lactic acid rinsed wings (0.39 log10 cfu/wing) were significantly (p<0.01) lower as compared to water rinsed (5.81 log10 cfu/wing) and chorine rinsed wings (5.69 log10 cfu/wing).