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Objective: To study the effects of water chiller on microbiological quality of poultry carcasses before and after chilling process in 11
slaughter houses of Tehran and Gilan provinces. Samples: Seventy five poultry carcasses were collected from 11 industrial slaughterhouses of Tehran and Gilan provinces.
Method: Fifty one poultry carcasses were from 9 industrial slaughter
houses of Tehran province and 24 poultry carcasses from 2 industrial slaughterhouses of Gilan province, before and after chilling process. were collected and analysed bacteriologicaly according to American
Public Health Association method. The free chlorine content and temperature of water for every chiller was also measured. Results: Coliform total count of poultry carcasses which collected
after chilling process showed higher load than before chilling in Tehran. Paired-samples T test indicated significant difference
(P<0.05). One of 51 carcasses which were collected after chilling
process in Tehran, and all the carcasses collected in Gilan, before
and after chilling process, were E. Coli positive. The isolated serotypes were 0119:B14, 0128:K67, 078:K80, 02:K1 and H7. One of 51 poultry carcasses of Tehran province, after chilling, was
Salmonella entritidis positive. Free chlorine content of water in 8 slaughter houses, located in Tehran province, was not measurable. Threfore, it was measured in water of one of the slaughterhouses
in Tehran and 2 slaughter houses of Gilan which were 0.5, 1 ppm and 0.1 ppm respectively. The mean temperatures ± standard error of water in chillers of the slaughterhouses of Gilan were 6.1 +1.4 and 6.5 ±O.7 respectively.
Concluded: According to the results, water chillers may be consider as a risk of bacterial contamination of pultery carcasses. Therefor hygienic quality control of them is very important. J. Fac. Vet.
Med. Univ. Tehran. 59, 3: 241-244, 2004.