Reduction of microbial contamination in meat goats using dietary brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) supplementation and chlorinated wash

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of brown seaweed extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) supplementation and chlorinated skin wash on skin and carcass microbial contamination in goats. In a completely randomized design with split-plot, 32 Boer x Spanish bucks were fed a diet containing alfalfa pellets (60%) and Tasco feed supplement (40%) with (four pens) or without (four pens) seaweed extract for 14 d. Goats were processed in two batches. Two bucks from each pen were spray washed with chlorinated water (50 mg L-1) after stunning and bleeding, and the other two bucks were processed as unwashed controls. Skin swab samples were obtained from the hind legs (5 cm x 5 cm) prior to overnight holding, after holding, and after spray washing. Immediately after skinning and evisceration, carcass swab samples were taken to assess contamination levels. The effect of spray wash on aerobic plate counts on skin (3.65 vs. 4.30 log(10) CFU cm(-2)) was significant (P < 0.05). Also, the goats subjected to seaweed extract dietary treatment plus spray wash had the lowest skin Escherichia coli counts. Seaweed extract supplementation before slaughtering, combined with chlorinated spray wash during processing, can be used as a viable decontamination strategy in goat processing.