Microbial Hazards Associated with Handling and Packaging of Chicken Giblets.

Packs of chicken giblets are known to often become contaminated with bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The organs which make up giblets include the gizzard, the heart, the liver and the neck which, in the bird, are all situated near to the alimentary tract. Given that the alimentary tract normally contains very large numbers of bacteria, it is not too surprising that during the harvesting and processing of giblets there are numerous opportunities for contamination to occur. A further problem this report investigates is that of leaking packs of giblets which, when inside the abdominal cavity, contaminate the chicken carcass with bacteria.

The stated purpose of this document is to identify the microbial hazards associated with the harvesting, chilling and packing of chicken giblets. By considering the microbial hazards identified in this document, it is envisaged that operators of plants will be able to achieve the twofold aims of minimizing the microbial contamination of giblets and minimizing the proportion of giblet packs that leak. The book includes example flow diagrams for evisceration, giblet harvesting, chilling and packing, together with notes about the microbial hazards that exist at each stage.