Cetylpyridinium chloride and peracetic acid to lessen Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and total aerobic bacterial contamination on chicken liver

Undercooked chicken liver dishes have been implicated in human outbreaks of campylobacteriosis. Campylobacter is readily isolated from the surface and internal tissue of chicken livers at slaughter and retail. We treated fresh liver lobes with 15-min immersion in cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) or peracetic acid (PAA) at concentrations ranging from 0 (control) to the highest allowable concentration and enumerated naturally occurring Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and total aerobic bacteria from the surface and within the whole blended lobe. The highest allowable concentration of CPC (8,000 ppm) was required to significantly lessen the number of Campylobacter on the surface and in the whole blended liver lobe. Concentrations of 2,000 and 4,000 ppm were ineffective. With PAA, even the highest allowable concentration (2,000 ppm) did not significantly lessen Campylobacter numbers on liver surface or within the whole blended lobe. Application of PAA at 500 or 1,000 ppm was ineffective. Liver lobe surface color was changed when treated with the highest concentration of either processing aid, especially PAA. Blending livers, as would be done for a pâté type product, did not negate the color change observed in PAA treated lobes. Based on these data, CPC and PAA do not show tremendous promise as a practical means to eliminate Campylobacter from chicken liver.