I. Geornaras

Biogenic amine formation by poultry‐associated spoilage and pathogenic bacteria

The production of biogenic amines by 50 poultry‐associated bacterial strains (25 Pseudomonas, 13 Salmonella and 12 Listeria) was investigated on amine agar plates containing lysine, histidine, ornithine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. Seventy‐four per cent of all the strains produced cadaverine and putrescine, while phenylethylamine, histamine, tyramine and tryptamine were produced by 72, 56, 34 and 24% of strains, respectively. Different patterns of biogenic amine production amongst the three bacterial genera tested were apparent as well as amongst strains of the same genus. This study highlighted a high incidence of biogenic amine‐producing bacterial strains associated with poultry.

Microbial populations associated with commercially produced South African sorghum beer as determined by conventional and Petrifilm™ plating

Microbial populations of 46 commercially produced sorghum beer samples from retail outlets in Johannesburg, South Africa, were enumerated and characterized. Aerobic plate counts, lactic acid bacteria counts and yeast counts were performed by conventional and Petrifilm plating. Conventional methods yielded yeast counts of 7.84 log CFU/ml, lactic acid bacteria counts of 6.44 log CFU/ml and aerobic plate counts of 5.96 log CFU/ml. In comparison, Petrifilm counts were 7.85 log CFU/ml for yeasts, 5.31 log CFU/ml for lactic acid bacteria and 5.34 log CFU/ml for aerobic bacteria. Characterization of 419 predominant bacterial isolates from Standard One Nutrient Agar, MRS Agar and corresponding Petrifilm plates yielded 88.0% lactic acid bacteria, 8.4% Bacillus species, 2.9% Micrococcus species and 0.7% Gram negative bacteria. Composition of predominant lactic acid bacteria populations from Standard One Nutrient Agar and both types of Petrifilm plates showed marginal differences. Increased proportions of heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria were, however, isolated from conventional MRS Agar compared to the modified Petrifilm product which represented the equivalent to MRS Agar.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria species and Salmonella serotypes associated with poultry processing

The broth microdilution method was used to determine the activities of selected antimicrobial agents used in the South African poultry industry (danofloxacin, neomycin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tylosin and colistin) and vancomycin against bacterial isolates previously obtained from carcasses and selected equipment surfaces and environmental sources associated with poultry processing. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 38 isolates of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus, 25 Listeria (L.) innocua, 18 L. monocytogenes, and 62 isolates belonging to six Salmonella (Salm.) serotypes (Salm. agona, Salm. blockley, Salm. enteritidis, Salm. isangi, Salm. reading and Salm. typhimurium) were determined. The most active antimicrobial agent against all the isolates tested was danofloxacin with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for 90% of the isolates (MIC90) not exceeding 0.25 and 2 microg/ml for gram-negative and gram-positive isolates, respectively. Conversely, high MICs were recorded for all the isolates tested against chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline (MIC90 range of 32 to > 512 microg/ml), except for the L. monocytogenes and Salm. enteritidis isolates (MIC range of < or = 0.5-4 microg/ml). Neomycin was found to be active against S. aureus, L. innocua, L. monocytogenes, Salm. enteritidis and Salm. isangi isolates, with MICs not exceeding 8 microg/ml. MIC ranges for tylosin and vancomycin, which were only tested against the gram-positive isolates, were from 1 to > 512 microg/ml and from 1 to 4 microg/ml, respectively. The MIC range for the remaining antimicrobial agent, colistin, which was only tested against the Salmonella isolates, was 0.5-16 microg/ml. The lack of MIC breakpoints for the antimicrobial agents used in the poultry industry did not allow for definite conclusions as to the level of resistant bacteria associated with poultry carcasses and the processing environment in this study.

Bacterial counts associated with poultry processing at different sampling times

Aerobic plate counts, Enterobacteriaceae counts and Pseudomonas counts were performed on neck skin samples from six processing steps in a poultry abattoir at three different sampling times. Sampling time 1 was shortly after start‐up of processing operations, time 2 after a tea break which was preceded by a cold water rinse‐down of equipment surfaces, and time 3 before shut‐down. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in microbial numbers of neck skin samples were observed between the three sampling times at the six sampling sites. At this particular processing plant, therefore, sampling at any time of the processing shift would thus not lead to significantly different bacterial counts of neck skins. The lowest aerobic plate counts, over all three sampling times, were obtained for neck skins sampled after spray washing, and the highest for neck skins sampled after packaging. This indicated the efficacy of the washing step in reducing microbial contamination but subsequent re‐contamination of carcasses. Despite the Pseudomonas counts of neck skins being lower than the Enterobacteriaceae counts at the beginning of processing, packaging of carcasses resulted in Pseudomonas counts that were higher than the Enterobacteriaceae counts.

Bacterial populations associated with the dirty area of a south African poultry abattoir

Bacterial populations associated with three sample types from the neck region of poultry carcasses in the dirty area of an abattoir were characterized. Sample types before and after scalding were skin only, feathers only, and a skin and feather combination. The neck skin of carcasses after the defeathering processing stage was also sampled. Bacterial populations associated with water from the scald tank, rubber fingers at the exit of the defeathering machine, and air in the dirty area were also characterized. Bacterial colonies (751) were randomly isolated from yeast extract-supplemented tryptone soya agar plates exhibiting 30 to 300 colonies. Micrococcus spp. were isolated in the highest proportion from pre-and postscalded carcass samples (63.5 to 86.1% of isolates), regardless of the sample type. Conversely, Enterobacteriaceae (40.3%), Acinetobacter (19.4%), and Aeromonas/Vibrio (12.5%) species predominated on neck skin samples taken from mechanically defeathered carcasses. Isolates from the rubber fingers were, however, predominantly Micrococcus spp. (94.4%). Bacterial groups isolated in the highest proportion from scald tank water samples were Micrococcus spp. (38.3%), species of Enterobacteriaceae (29.1%), and lactic acid bacteria (17.0%). Corynebacterium spp., species of Enterobacteriaceae, and Micrococcus spp. were dominant on air settle plates.

Advantages of sucrose‐dependent extracellular polysaccharide production to lactic acid bacteria in sucrose‐rich environments

G.A. DYKES, I. GEORNARAS AND A. VON HOLY. 1995. Some possible advantages of sucrosedependent extracellular polysaccharide production to Lactobacillus L191 from bakers yeast were investigated. A ca log 1 plaque‐forming units ml‐1decrease in attachment of bacteriophage AB1 to cells of Lactobacillus L191 grown in the presence of sucrose as compared to cells grown in the absence of sucrose was noted. On the other hand, a ca log 1 colony‐forming units cm‐2increase in attachment of Lactobacillus L191 to stainless steel surfaces when grown in the presence of sucrose compared to the absence of sucrose was observed. It was concluded that sucrose‐dependent extracellular polysaccharide may provide a series of individually small but jointly synergistic selective advantages to strains producing it.