Probiotic culture tested against poultry pathogens
culture that can sharply reduce pathogens such as Salmonella and
Campylobacter says the University of Arkansas.
Unlike previous cultures that have been tested, the new one is reportedly unique because it is a "defined culture"--entirely derived from a single defined group of bacteria.
The Food and Drug Administration does not allow undefined cultures to be used in competitive exclusion methods, so the defined cultures produced by Hargis' research group fill a need for industry.
"Our cultures are different because they can be truly defined, and they can be reproduced from specific isolates that are stored back in the freezer," said poultry science researcher Billy Hargis. "Then they can be propagated virtually forever."
Although this first probiotic culture holds potential economic benefits for the industry, Hargis believes his studies can produce better alternatives. Hargis is working on the project at the university's agriculture division.
"We have not bothered to patent this specific culture because we don't think this is the best we can do," Hargis stated in the university's newsletter on food safety. "We think we can find better cultures. This is just the best we have found so far. We think we can make it more effective."
The probiotic cultures are applied against pathogens using the concept of competitive exclusion, in which different species compete to coexist. In poultry production, the companies testing the culture plan to introduce the beneficial good bacteria into a live bird to see whether these will drive out the harmful pathogenic ones.
"They're known organisms, specific isolates that are well characterized," Hargis said in his report.
At the poultry production farm level, the probiotic culture has been administered to chicks through their drinking water and by spray application. In addition to cutting down on pathogens in the live poultry, the culture has also been found in experiments to be effective in increasing the birds' weight, lowering production costs, and reducing environmental contamination in poultry houses, the researchers claimed.
Hargis also wants to pursue more studies on the culture's ability to reduce carcass contamination. Some experiments have shown such reductions, but more data are needed.
"Salmonella does not occur by spontaneous generation in a processing plant," he said. "It comes in with the live animals. I think it's a pretty good bet that reducing Salmonella in live animals will end up reducing Salmonella in food because that's where it comes from. Our focus now is to make the culture better and find other isolates that are more effective."
Probiotics are live, nonpathogenic bacteria that contribute to the health and balance of the intestinal tract. They are given orally to poultry to help the birds fight illness and disease.
