A study of bacteria contaminating refrigerated cooked chicken; their spoilage potential and possible origin

Abstract

Summary: Cooked chicken was allowed to spoil in a normal kitchen refrigerator (variable temperature) and at a standard4 °C. After 10 days' storage, bacteria were isolated from the chicken. It was found that the numbers oforganisms at variable refrigeration temperature were tenfold higher than those at a uniform 4 °C. In an attempt to find the sources of contamination, swabs were made of different areas of the kitchen. Many of the bacteria isolated from the spoiled chicken, were also isolated from the kitchen environment.When pure cultures of organisms isolated from spoiled chicken were inoculated into sterile cooked chicken and held at 4 °C, the main spoilage organisms were found to bePseudomonas putidaandAeromonas hydrophila, which were also isolated from the refrigerator where the chickens were stored in the kitchen.Aeromonas hydrophilawas found in significantly high numbers on plates, cutting knives, chopping boards and cold water taps.