Salmonella intervention for Grade A poultry processing

Detailed criteria are provided by the USDA for grading poultry, with grades including A, B, and C. These grades are based on factors such as appearance, conformation (shape and structure), fleshing (amount and distribution of meat), and the presence of defects or damages, such as discoloration of the skin. This requires certain processing procedures, equipment used and packaging of the final poultry product. Other factors that could influence the appearance of chicken are (chemical) interventions used for controlling Salmonella present in the poultry products, which side-effects often cause discoloration of the poultry meat treated.

The potential effects of (chemical) interventions for the control of Salmonella in poultry

For Grade A poultry, the USDA states that there should be no discoloration that detracts from the overall appearance of the bird. The skin of the poultry product should be free from bruises and discolorations that are visible. Discolorations can be caused by a number of factors, including interventions used for food safety protocols. Peracetic Acid (PAA) is known to be capable of causing discoloration to poultry, as it results in lightening or bleaching of the skin meat. High Pressure Processing (HPP) can affect the color of the poultry meat but in a less significant way than PAA does. Depending on application specs, HPP can result in slight lightening of the skin meat, which is less visible due to the natural pink- and white skin of poultry.

Though both interventions have the potential of affecting the appearance of poultry products, the widely used doses are minimal enough for retaining USDA Grade A Poultry. However, the challenge occurs with the sensitivity of poultry for Salmonella infections, which is commonly encountered in the preharvest and postharvest stages of the poultry. During the postharvest processing stages, the risks of cross-contamination are also encountered in various stages. Because of these risks, the U.S. poultry industry frequently makes use of the Multi-Hurdle, Multi-Technology approach to reduce Salmonella levels in the final product. This approach is based on a hurdle of different interventions to achieve the desired Salmonella reduction and maintain the food safety of the product. However, having multiple interventions applied to the product does result or increase the risks of visible discoloration on the final poultry product.

Achieving Salmonella control without compromising on organoleptic properties

Bacteriophage (or phage) interventions have the ability to target Salmonella serovars without affecting the color, taste, texture and odor of the treated product. Just as HPP and PAA, Phage technology is suited for application in the poultry industry as well as in a Multi-Hurdle strategy. As the intervention aligns with the demands of the poultry industry, the technology quickly became a more common intervention for controlling Salmonella levels in poultry.

Although there are different phage (based) solutions available, our phage solution Phageguard S (PGS) has shown to be effective against all prevalent Salmonella serovars encountered in the poultry industry so far. Besides, Phageguard S provides a good addition to the Multi-Hurdle, Multi-Technology approach as it doesn’t affect the organoleptic properties of the product and has a clean-label processing aid status. This maintains Grade A poultry processing while at the same time improving the Salmonella control management plan of poultry processors. Discover more about the technology by scrolling down to our Technical Data Sheets on various poultry products.

The USDA Poultry Grading standard

The USDA Poultry Grading Standard for the U.S. poultry market ensures that poultry products meet certain quality and safety requirements. For the industry itself, these standards provide a common language and set of expectations that facilitate trade, help prevent fraud, and improve overall market efficiency. Besides, it provides the poultry industry with a comprehensive reference frame for grading and classifying their products, which is essential for marketing, pricing, and competitive fairness. Nowadays, most raw poultry products that are being processed for human consumption have an USDA Grade A standard. Which resemble the following:

Grade A:

Poultry of Grade A quality should have a clean appearance, with no feathers or discolorations. The bird must have a well-formed body, with normal shape and structure. Any defects in the shape that do not affect the general appearance significantly are minimal. Grade A also requires well-developed and evenly distributed flesh, particularly in the breast and drumsticks of poultry products. Very few defects are permissible. There should be no missing parts (except for wing tips or tail), and the skin should be free from cuts, tears, or bruises that are more than superficial.

Grade B:

For Grade B the poultry can have minor defects in appearance, such as moderate discolorations or a few remaining feathers. The same goes for the conformation, with slight abnormalities in shape being allowed, as long as they do not detract significantly from the bird's appearance. The flesh should still be reasonably developed, although not as well distributed as Grade A. This indicates that the breast and drumsticks may show less fullness. Grade B overall allows for more noticeable defects. There may be moderate deformities, cuts, tears, or bruises, and some parts may be missing such as portions of the back.

Grade C:

Poultry in this grade have more noticeable defects in appearance, including significant discolorations and a higher number of feathers left on the product. There can be more pronounced abnormalities in shape and structure. The flesh is less developed, and there may be a significant lack of meat in the breast and drumsticks. Grade C allows for considerable defects, such as severe deformities, large cuts, tears, bruises, and multiple missing parts. The overall appearance is less uniform and less appealing to the consumer.