Poultry quality – Iced, cut-up poultry may develop a slimy surface with a tainted, sour “dishraggy” odor. Which group is chiefly responsible for this defect?

Introduction / Context: In chilled poultry, surface slime and sour/tainted odors are common spoilage indicators. Identifying the dominant spoilers enables targeted interventions (rapid chilling, clean ice, air-drying the surface).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Product: iced, cut-up poultry (skin-on pieces).
• Defect: slime layer and tainted, acid, sour, “dishraggy” odor.
• Storage: aerobic and cold (near 0–4 °C).

Concept / Approach: Psychrotrophic aerobes, especially Pseudomonas spp., dominate spoilage of chilled, moist, oxygen-exposed meats. They produce extracellular polysaccharides (slime) and volatile metabolites (sulfides, organic acids) responsible for off-odors.

Step-by-Step Solution: Assess storage conditions → cold, aerobic → favors Pseudomonas. Correlate symptoms → slime + sour/tainted odor align with Pseudomonas metabolic profile. Rule out others → Alcaligenes or lactic acid bacteria are less dominant under typical iced, aerobic poultry conditions. Select Pseudomonas species as primary culprits.

Verification / Alternative check: APC with selective recovery at chill temperatures frequently yields Pseudomonas counts that correlate with sensory spoilage scores on poultry skin.

Why Other Options Are Wrong: Alcaligenes may appear but is less prevalent; heterofermentative LAB and catalase-negative cocci tend to dominate in vacuum/MAP or low-oxygen environments, not in wet, open-ice storage.

Common Pitfalls: Assuming slime implies pathogens; most slime-formers in chill are spoilers, not necessarily pathogens. Also, poor drainage exacerbates slime formation.

Final Answer: Pseudomonas species.