Table 4.
qPCR quantification (log10-transformed) of total bacteria and foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes) from different sample types and stages along the farm-to-fork continuum of a pasture-raised broiler flocka, b.
| Pre-harvest | Post-harvest | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchery | Brood | Pasture | Processing | Final Product | |||
| Target (gene) | GIT | Feces | Feces | SFR | Ceca | P-WCR | FP-WCR |
| Total Bacteria (16S) | 2.39 ± 1.72 | 6.72 ± 0.66 | 7.34 ± 0.46 | 1.61 ± 0.94 | 3.89 ± 0.70 | 2.11 ± 0.73 | 1.68 ± 0.50 |
| Salmonella spp. (invA) | 0.10 ± 0.12 | 0.24 ± 0.13 | 0.22 ± 0.34 | 0.42 ± 0.15 | 0.52 ± 0.10 | 0.00 ± 0.00 | 0.00 ± 0.00 |
| Campylobacter jejuni (hipO) | 1.43 ± 0.21 | 1.72 ± 0.56 | 1.74 ± 0.95 | 0.16 ± 0.23 | 0.11 ± 0.35 | 1.30 ± 1.21 | 0.00 ± 0.00 |
| Listeria monocytogenes (hylA) | 0.19 ± 0.40 | 0.17 ± 0.33 | 0.73 ± 0.82 | 0.00 ± 0.00 | 0.00 ± 0.00 | 0.00 ± 0.00 | 0.00 ± 0.00 |
a
Information in the third row indicates the sample type (GIT, gastrointestinal tract; SFR, Skin & Feather Rinse; P-WCR, Processing Whole Carcass Rinse; FP-WCR, Final Product Whole Carcass Rinse).
b
Values represent the average ± standard deviation for replicate samples for each sample type (N = 12, 5, 10, 12, 12, and 3 for the GIT, Brood Feces, Pasture Feces, SFR, Ceca, P-WCR, and FP-WCR, respectively).