South Africa has recently achieved a significant milestone by being the first in the industry to successfully use bacteriophages to reduce Salmonella levels in chicken-processing facilities. This groundbreaking development has been highlighted in prominent industry news publications, including the South African Poultry Association (SAPA).
In this innovative study, over four million poultry carcasses were treated with the phage solution, PhageGuard S (PGS). The results were impressive, showing a substantial decrease in the presence of Salmonella, thereby confirming the effectiveness of phages during the chicken processing stage.
Field Study Overview
The study spanned four weeks and involved spraying and sampling more than four million carcasses before and after they passed through the spin chiller. Professor Pieter Gouws from Stellenbosch University in South Africa emphasized that the research demonstrated the effectiveness of bacteriophages, especially when used in conjunction with a chlorine wash, against multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella. “When applied correctly, bacteriophages can significantly enhance food safety without negatively affecting abattoir workers, consumers, or the environment,” he noted.
Although the role of bacteriophages in food safety has been extensively researched, previous studies had largely taken place in laboratory settings. This changed in 2020 when the Centre for Food Safety at Stellenbosch University launched a field study in a working chicken abattoir to evaluate the efficacy of bacteriophages in combatting Salmonella on poultry carcasses. This is particularly critical as Salmonella is increasingly becoming resistant to nearly all available antimicrobials.
One of the key advantages of bacteriophages is their ability to target and eliminate specific harmful organisms without affecting other beneficial bacteria or the surrounding environment. They are entirely natural and are found abundantly in nature.
In response to the findings, Izaak Breitenbach, General Manager of SAPA’s Broiler Organisation, expressed support for steering away from antimicrobial use. “Bacteriophages play a crucial role in enhancing food safety in South Africa, especially considering our warm climate, which allows bacteria to thrive rapidly,” he commented.
