ANTI-BACTERIA POULTRY RINSE INTRODUCED

CRANBURY, N.J. -- The maker of a new salt rinse process for fresh poultry claims it is nearly 100% effective in eliminating salmonella and E. coli bacteria.

Department of Agriculture, the company announced. That approval allows immediate use of the product by poultry processors, the company said.

The AvGard rinse is a process in which poultry is rinsed with a food-grade trisodium phosphate salt solution and then rinsed again with clean water prior to chilling and packaging, according to the company.

Cost to apply the rinse is estimated at one cent per bird.

While a spokesperson for AvGard declined to name poultry processors currently using the rinse, at least one retailer in the Los Angeles area is now carrying some poultry treated with the product, she said.

The company is testing the effectiveness of the rinse on beef and pork processing as well

Rhone Poulenc is expected to petition USDA for approval later this year.

USDA had given an earlier approval, in October 1992, for the rinse to be used in the "post-chill" phase of processing. The new "prechill" system is said to be more effective and easier to implement for some processors, according to the company.