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Many people consume eggs as a popular source of animal protein. The high demand for animal protein correlates with increased egg consumption.
Therefore, clean and disease-free eggs are essential to prevent the spread of diseases that can affect public health, such as typhoid.
“This disease occurs in eggs contaminated with Salmonella bacteria,” said Salma Nur Azizah, a 2022 UGM Faculty of Animal Science (Animal Science UGM) student, Thursday (Feb. 6).
In response to this issue, Azizah, along with fellow student Mohammad Rizky Zulfahmi, proposed using ultraviolet C (UV-C) light to combat Salmonella bacteria in the layer chicken farming industry.
Azizah explained that UV-C light has the shortest wavelength among other ultraviolet rays. Based on various references they studied, UV-C light is strong enough to damage bacterial DNA, including Salmonella.
“Using UV-C light to combat Salmonella contamination is an effective and simple method. UV-C light stops the growth of pathogenic bacteria by breaking their DNA chains,” she explained.
Zulfahmi added that the UV-C system designed to combat Salmonella bacteria consists of several parts: a control panel, sterilization plastic, egg tray, machine wheels, frame, gear wheels, conveyor belt, and UV-C light.
Specifically, UV-C light can kill Salmonella bacteria in 10-15 minutes, depending on the wavelength and exposure time.
“Installing UV-C light on the conveyor after grading can optimize time efficiency in industrial-scale operations. Therefore, it is important to introduce this UV-C sterilization method to the layer chicken farming industry to enhance food safety and quality,” Zulfahmi elaborated.
The creative idea from these two Animal Science students, under the supervision of Galuh Adi Insani, won 2nd place in the Poultry Literacy Competition held by Universitas Padjadjaran’s Poultry Professional Group from Aug. 27 to Sept. 26, 2024.
Report: Animal Science UGM/Satria
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photo: Freepik