Water Hardness Plays a Role in Removing Bacteria from Chicken Skin

Reducing water hardness may increase its ability to remove bacteria from broiler chicken skin, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Athens, Ga. Water hardness varies in different geographical locations, but most water tested in the United States has some degree of hardness. 

"Hard" water has higher concentrations of dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.  Water is softened by removing these minerals, either mechanically or chemically. 

Microbiologist Arthur Hinton, Jr., and chemist Ronald Holser of the ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens conducted studies comparing the ability of very hard, moderately hard, and "soft" water to rinse away bacteria like Campylobacter, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas from the skin of broiler chicken carcasses.

After five rinses in each water type, soft water removed up to 37 percent more bacteria from the chicken skin than did the other two water types.

Hinton's and Holser's studies indicate water hardness may be one of the characteristics of processing water that should be monitored by poultry processors. By controlling water hardness, poultry processors may be able to improve the ability of processing water to remove bacteria from the skin of processed poultry.

Read the full report at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr.