Effects of the evisceration and cooling processes on the incidence of Salmonella in fresh dressed turkeys grown under Salmonella-controlled and uncontrolled environments.

In July and December 1981, turkeys grown in a Salmonella-free environment were sampled at the end of the slaughter and evisceration processes to determine the effect of slaughter and evisceration on the incidence of Salmonella in raw, eviscerated turkeys. A total of 109 eviscerated turkeys from the Salmonella-free flocks and 79 control turkeys were sampled. A total of 75 environmental swab samples and 5 chiller water samples were collected. Less than 1% of the eviscerated Salmonella-free turkeys were Salmonella positive and 6.3% of the eviscerated control turkeys were Salmonella positive. The results of the swab samples indicated generally good processing equipment sanitation.