Sanitation during Processing

[bigredfeather]

As with everyone else who processed their own birds and sells them, sanitation during processing is a major concern for us. I would like to go thru my sanitation process and see if I'm missing anything and how my methods stack up against everyone elses.

Pre Processing-
Even though I wash/disinfect everything after I'm done, I give everything that is going to touch raw chicken another good washing with hot soapy water and mist it down with a 10% bleach and Dawn solution. That would include all knives, holding barrels, cutting boards, and processing table.

During-
Starting out with a nice clean work area and tools, I like to keep it that way. Periodically thru-out the processing, the table gets a rinsing. If the gutter (my DW) accidentally nicks the intestines or busts a bile duct, the table gets sprayed down immediatly and disinfected again and the effected bird gets put into it's own holding tank to prevent cross contamination.

Post Processing-
After the last bird is finished, I start to get everything cleaned up while the birds done towards the end are chilling and awaiting cut-up and packaging. All knives and cutting boards are taken to the house and don't return. Table gets a hot soapy water bath, then a bleach water spraydown. If time permits and it's sunny, I wheel the table out to dry in the sun before bringing it back in for cut/weigh/packaging. Birds come out of the chilling tank and get a good rinsing before hitting the table for the last part of the process.

That's about it. One thing I would like alter is the use of bleach in my disinfectant. I am always sure to make sure everything that gets bleached dries before I use it, but still am not pleased with having to use it.

Am I missing anything or can you see something I could so different.

 

[doubleatraining]

That sounds good to me. The only thing I do differently is put ACV in the ice water in my coolers to disinfect the actual bird.

 

[yinepu]

my mother used to use a wooden chopping block (old tree stump).. and an old axe.. never was disinfected.. she would hose it off after she was done and in between butcherings it was used for splitting firewood.. we gutted and plucked the birds by hand on old wooden picnic tables.. occasionally my dad would come by with the hose.. but he was usually sitting back with a glass of iced tea..

here I wash the knife and shears with regular dish soap .. my husband shoots the birds in the head (nope.. he doesn't disinfect the bullet before hand lol)
i have on old piece of plywood that I have set up on an old iron fish tank stand where I gut and pluck.. occasionally he hoses it off.. but that's it.. i have warm brine water set aside for the finished birds so one can soak while I am gutting the next.. when the second bird is ready to hit the brine the first bird is stuffed into a freezer bag and taken in to the fridge.. we never bleach anything.. maybe I'm old fashioned or maybe i have the strongest immune system in the world.. but we never got sick as kids eating home butchered birds.. and my husband and I have never gotten sick from how we process them.. (I'm 51 by the way).. now to each his own.. but personally I dont like super bugs lurking around.. and sometimes I have to wonder just how many are created by over sanitizing everything under the sun


even when I worked in the poultry processing plant things weren't done "by the book".. unless a USDA inspector happened to be standing nearby.. I saw my supervisors pick up processed birds off the floor (considered to be contaminated) and toss them back into the chilling tank after a quick glance around to see if an inspector was nearby.. so even in the "industry" corners are cut all the time.. they just hope the inspectors aren't looking in their direction when it happens!

 

[Wheeler Farms Chickens]

Quote:
What is ACV?

 

[bwmichaud]

ACV=Apple Cider Vinegar

 

[LittleDarlings]

even when I worked in the poultry processing plant things weren't done "by the book".. unless a USDA inspector happened to be standing nearby.. I saw my supervisors pick up processed birds off the floor (considered to be contaminated) and toss them back into the chilling tank after a quick glance around to see if an inspector was nearby.. so even in the "industry" corners are cut all the time.. they just hope the inspectors aren't looking in their direction when it happens!

And this is why I choose to do my own! LOL IF the bird hits my floor, I at least know what was on it!

 

[Wheeler Farms Chickens]

So, how much apple cider vinegar per gallon of water? Also, how does it disenfect? Does it affect the taste?

 

[bigredfeather]

I haven't read anyting that proves that ACV alone is a effective disinfectant. If there is something out there that says otherwise, I'd be willing to check it out. I have a hard time believing that a PH change due to adding ACV is enough to wart off harmful bacteria, but that's just my educated guess. I would think you would have to have a pretty potent mix to even change the PH.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:

And this is why I choose to do my own! LOL IF the bird hits my floor, I at least know what was on it!

oh the stuff that goes on in processing plants is pretty scary.. especially in pickle plants or anyplace where they make juice...
i've toured several and had relatives/friends who worked at them... seriously.. if people knew what all went on in those places they would grow ALL their own food!

the bad thing at the poultry plant is that once they throw contaminated birds back into the chiller.. ALL the birds in there are exposed to the same thing.. plus any new birds that are processed that day... and they sit in there for hours at a time... so i'll happily risk my home processing.. cause I have seen first hand the nasty things that go in (and on the floor) of a poultry processing plant

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
ive used STRAIGHT (non diluted) white vinegar for cleaning around the house (counters and such).. BUT I dont use JUST vinegar.. I also wipe the counters down with baking soda and peroxide.. I don't know that just apple cider vinegar alone does much... however since I'm not a chemist/biologist I can't say for sure