Chlorate compound reduces levels of Salmonella and E. coli in poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has patented a chlorate compound, which has been proven to reduce bacteria in poultry products. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has patented a chlorate-based compound that significantly reduces levels of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in the animals’ digestive tract.
According to an ARS news release, the research at the ARS Food and Feed Safety Research Unit (FFSRU) in College Station, Texas. The team, led Microbiologist Robin Anderson, mixed a chlorate-based compound into livestock feed or water two days before slaughter.
When fed about 0.5 – 5% of an animal’s diet, the powder-like additive was very effective in reducing Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract.
To test the chlorate compound in poultry, Allen Byrd, FFSRU microbiologist, gave the additive to over 200 market-age turkeys and 2,000 broiler chickens 48 hours before processing. The incidence of Salmonella dropped from 35% to zero in turkeys, and from 37% to 2% in broilers.
Anderson developed the experimental chlorate five years ago, at the urging of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The swine research was financially supported with funding from the National Pork Board.
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