International Journal of Poultry Science
1682-8356
1994-7992
Asian Network for Scientific Information
10.3923/ijps.2005.657.662
W.R. Windham
D.P. Smith
M.E. Berrang
K.C. Lawrence
P.W. Feldner
9
2005
4
9
Broiler processing may result
in fecal contamination of the surfaces of carcasses. Fecal contaminants
on broiler carcasses are prohibited due to the potential presence of
bacterial pathogens. The objective of this study was to determine the
effectiveness of the hyperspectral imaging system to detect cecal contamination
of known mass. On each of three replicate sample days, twenty-four eviscerated,
pre-chilled broiler carcasses were collected from a commercial processing
plant. Broiler carcasses were cut longitudinally into contra-lateral
halves using a sanitized saw. Cecal contents from the same flock were
also collected and used to contaminate carcass. Contents of multiple
cecal were combined, homogenized and used to contaminate carcass. Carcass
halves were imaged uncontaminated and cecal contents (10, 50, or 100
mg) were applied to the carcass half, and then re-imaged. Cecal detection
results varied due to contaminate detection threshold. The imaging system
correctly identified 100% cecal mass applied at a threshold of 1.00
and 1.05 but also incorrectly identified 252 and 65 carcass features,
respectively that were not contaminates (false positives). False negative
were only associated with the 10mg mass and a detection threshold of
1.10. The percentage of true positive cecal pixels (ie. ground truth)
detected also varied due to the detection threshold. Averaged across
cecal mass, the percentage of the cecal ground truth detected was 74,
55 and 35% for the 1.00, 1.05 and 1.10 threshold, respectively. The
percentage of contaminated pixels not detected were a spectral mixture
of cecal and uncontaminated skin. Detection of mixed pixels in small
contaminants (ie. 10mg and less) or an aggregate of several single-pixels
is essential for contaminant identification. Detection of mixed pixels
in large contaminants is not significant to overall contaminant identification.]]>