Nanoborate based decontamination of poultry carcasses

Abstract

Despite the implementation of strict biosecurity and food safety systems in broiler production, poultry products continue to be a significant source of foodborne pathogens. Traditional decontaminants, including chlorine dioxide (ClO2), have shown limited effectiveness in completely reducing this risk. We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of novel nanoborate solutions prepared from polyborates using a nanotechnological approach compared with chlorine dioxide. The optimized nanoborate formulation demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity by achieving approximately 105 CFU/mL bactericidal activity at 1 min and 106 CFU/mL at 30 min, approaching TS EN 1656 standards. Remarkable reductions in the concentrations of TAMB, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria, and Enterococcus spp. were observed in poultry carcasses treated with the nanoborate solution by day 12 (p < 0.05). On Day 12, carcasses treated with nanoborate exhibited reductions of 2.5 log CFU/carcass in TAMB, 1.5 log CFU/carcass in Pseudomonas spp., 2.96 log CFU/carcass in lactic acid bacteria on MRS agar, 2.85 log CFU/carcass on M17 agar, and 4.29 log CFU/carcass on KE agar (p < 0.05). Poultry carcasses treated with nanoborate displayed enhanced microbiological quality and exhibited an approximate 50% increase in shelf life relative to the control group. Results from sensory examination demonstrated that nanoborate-treated carcasses preserved acceptable quality on Day 12. Elemental analysis verified the existence of very trace amounts of boron residue. Upon assessing the application of a nanoborate solution regarding public health, it could potentially be an appropriate alternative decontaminant for poultry carcass disinfection.