Zoonotic diseases are mainly transmitted through the consumption of meat obtained from infected animals or handled inappropriately. In this context, the aim of a recent study carried out by a group of Indian researchers (Muthulakshmi et al., 2024) was to evaluate the effect of turmeric powder on the microbial counts of chicken carcasses.

For the experiment, freshly slaughtered samples were divided into three groups: Group A (control), Group B and Group C. Products in Group A were stored without preservatives, products in Group B were treated with turmeric powder (1.5%) for 1 minute, and products in Group C were treated with turmeric powder (1.5%) for 5 minutes. Total microbial counts, coliforms, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, yeasts and moulds were evaluated in all groups.

The results show a significant reduction in bacterial load in carcasses treated with turmeric, with a greater decrease in Group C than in Group B. In addition, sensory analysis shows a significant increase in flavour scores for samples B and C compared to the control samples. However, appearance/colour, juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability scores were not affected by the treatment.

In conclusion, the authors argue that applying turmeric powder with a minimum contact time of 5 minutes is sufficient to significantly reduce microbial contamination of chicken carcasses without compromising their quality properties.

References: M. Muthulakshmi et al., International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, 9, 2024, 350–353.