International Journal of Food Microbiology 92 (2004) 105
www.elsevier.com/locate/ijfoodmicro
Book review
Poultry Products Processing. An Industry Guide
Shai Barbut. CRC Press, London, New York, 2002;
XII + 548 pages, hardback, ISBN 1-88716-060-9;
Web: http://www.crcpress.com
The author is employed at the Animal and Poultry
Science and Food Science Departments, University of
Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
The volume is a comprehensive introduction to
poultry processing and you get the impression that the
ultimate knowledge on the subject is accumulated in
the volume.
Poultry is an important source of zoonotic diseases
in humans, such as salmonellosis and campylobacter-
iosis. GMP and HACCP are important tools in the farm
to fork concept to improve food safety. The volume
gives you a detailed introduction to the diversity of
problems in poultry processing and options of solution
in matters related to both quality and safety. It thus
becomes a key work in the field of poultry processing.
We are in the first part of the volume introduced
to the anatomy of poultry including the postmortem
changes, which in poultry only lasts 1 – 3 h. The
important issue of the balance between tenderness
and the drop of the temperature is explained. Catch-
ing and Hauling Live Birds is thoroughly explained,
not only with regards to container sizes, etc., but also
by explaining biochemical details related to stress
factors.
The slaughtering, Primary Processing of Poultry, is
of course explained in detail using illustrative pictures
or drawings of equipment which may compromise
hygiene, such as the rubber fingers in the defeathering
machine, which are nursing environment for clones of
pathogens like staphylococci, Listeria, and Salmonel-
la. This is not mentioned in the chapter but do not
underestimate the author, you will find it in a chapter
on Microbiology and Sanitation. Sections of this
chapter are fairly basic, even including drawing of
doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2003.10.001
the structure of the bacterial cell membrane to explain
the gram stain reaction, not much likely to be of any
interest to the readers the volume addresses. The
chapter, on the other hand, supplies interesting infor-
mation on the impact of the production steps on the
bacterial load, e.g., to use a post-scald hot water rinse
cabinet to exemplify the range of subjects dealt with.
The chapter also includes a section on Significant
microorganisms in poultry meat, explaining general
information of the bacteria of concern, such as salmo-
nella Escherichia coli, clostridia, and even hepatitis A
virus, however, this is not a problem related to poultry
products. The HACCP principles are elaborated, in-
cluding a useful Process Flow Diagram for Chilled
Ready-to-cook Whole chicken including suggested
Critical Control Points (CCP). In 12 pages, there is a
survey of, e.g., monitoring procedures, deviation and
verification procedures, etc. Very useful and informa-
tive not only to the industry but certainly also to
supervising agencies.
Final chapters deal with Meat colour and Flavor,
Measuring Sensory and functional properties, and By-
products and waste, including pet food and waste
water treatment.
Poultry Products Processing addresses a much
wider forum of readers than just those fitting under
the heading An industrial guide. This will apply to
personnel, food technologists, meat specialists, equip-
ment suppliers, as well as students and university
teachers in food technology, and all those who are
interested in the interplay between technology and food
safety and realistic possibilities for improvement of
food safety.
Niels Skovgaard
Jakob Knusdsensvej 18, 3460 Birkerod, Denmark
E-mail address: niels-skovgaard@mail.tele.DK
Tel./fax: +45-45-813936