Importance of the producer on retail broiler meat product contamination with Campylobacter spp.

BACKGROUND: Campylobacter spp. are a leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, with poultry meat being considered the most important source of the infection. To obtain data on broiler meat contamination with Campylobacter spp. in Lithuania, the occurrence, counts and genotypes of these pathogens on raw broiler meat products from different producers were examined. RESULTS: Out of 312 broiler meat product samples examined, 46.8% were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni was identified in 51.4% and Campylobacter coli in 37.7% of positive samples. Campylobacter jejuni was more frequently found in the warm period (April-October) and C. coli in the cold period (November-March) of the year (P < 0.05). The overall mean count of Campylobacter spp. was 3.55 and 3.50 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) on wings and drumsticks respectively. The occurrence and counts of Campylobacter spp. varied significantly between producers examined (P < 0.05). Analysis of flaA-RFLP genotyping revealed C. jejuni genotypes common to all producers as well as producer-specific genotypes. CONCLUSION: Both the occurrence and counts of Campylobacter spp. on broiler meat products were producer-dependent, so this should be kept in mind when risk-based control measures at national level are applied.

Evidence of broiler meat contamination with post-disinfection strains of Campylobacter jejuni from slaughterhouse.

While cross-contamination from equipment and scalding water containing Campylobacter jejuni is considered the main route of broiler carcass contamination during slaughtering, alternative sources of C. jejuni may have been overlooked because only a limited number of studies focus on sampling of one broiler flock along the entire food chain and not many include the slaughterhouse environment. In the present study we have traced the changes of C. jejuni genotypes within one broiler flock from the beginning of rearing to the final product at the slaughterhouse with the aim to evaluate the dynamics and possible sources of carcass contamination with C. jejuni. Genotyping of 345 isolates of C. jejuni by flaA-RFLP revealed ten different flaA genotypes of C. jejuni along the broiler meat production chain. Broiler fillets were mainly contaminated with flaA genotypes found on the surfaces of slaughterhouse equipment and in the scalding water after cleaning and disinfection. Finally, it was clearly demonstrated that C. jejuni isolates remaining in the slaughterhouse environment after disinfection is a potential source of broiler meat contamination. Thus, identification of the mechanisms that allow such strains to persist in the slaughterhouse and survive cleaning is important for the establishment of future practices that will ensure sufficient reduction of C. jejuni in the slaughterhouse environment.