Agricultural Research Service

Despite a Consistent Growth in Organic Poultry Production, Few Research and Outreach Programs Target the Needs of These Producers. Both Conventional and Organic Poultry Products Have Been Identified as Major Sources of Salmonella and Campylobacter, the Two Most Common Food-borne Pathogens in the Us. Organically Raised Poultry Must Have Outside Access, as Required by Usda Organic Standards, Which Increases Bird Exposure to These Pathogens. However, Organic Standards Allow Few Methods for Reducing These Pathogens on Poultry Products. We Work With Many Organic Poultry Farmers and Their Highest Priority Is Research/education Associated With Processing and Post-harvest Food Safety. Preliminary Results From Our Team Indicate That Several Food-grade, Plant-derived Antimicrobials Are Effective in Reducing Pathogens on Poultry and Eggs, Highlighting the Potential to Improve Safety of Organic Poultry Products. This Proposal Aims to Reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter on Poultry Meat/eggs Using Plant-derived Antimicrobials Applied as Wash, Spray, Fumigation or Coating Treatment at Critical Post-harvest Control Points. Moreover, Shelf-life and Consumer Acceptability of Organic Poultry Products Subjected to These Interventions Will Be Determined. the Outreach/extension Objectives of This Proposal Are to Provide Food Safety/processing Workshops for Organic Poultry Producers and Disseminate Research Results of the Project to the Organic Poultry Community. Additionally, Tools Such as Extension, Eorganic, Webinar, and Google Analytics Will Be Utilized to Disseminate Project Results to Organic Poultry Producers. Our Proposal Seeks to Support Organic Producers Through Orei Goals 1 and 2, and Specifically Addresses the Priority Area (3) Regarding Improving Post-harvest Food Safety and Shelf Life of Organic Products.