Prevalence of and risk factors for Campylobacter spp. contamination of broiler chicken carcasses at the slaughterhouse

A study was conducted in 2008 to estimate the prevalence and identify the risk factors for Campylobacter spp. contamination of broiler carcasses during the slaughtering process. A pool of 10 caeca and one carcass were collected from 425 batches of broiler chickens slaughtered in 58 French slaughterhouses over a 12-month period. Potential risk factors were identified according to the Campylobacter contamination status of carcasses and processing variables identified from questionnaires. The statistical analysis took into account confounding factors that have already been associated with the presence of Campylobacter on carcasses such as the slaughter age of the chicken or seasonal variations. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 77.2% of caeca (95% CI 73.2 to 81.2) and from 87.5% of carcasses (95% CI 84.4 to 90.7). A multiple logistic regression showed 4 parameters as significant risk factors (p < 0.05) for contamination: (I) batches were not the first to be slaughtered in the logistic schedule (OR = 3.5), (II) temperature in the evisceration room was higher than 15 °C (OR = 3.1), (III) dirty marks on carcasses after evisceration were visible (OR = 2.6) and (IV) previous thinning of the flocks, from which slaughtered batches came, had occurred at the farm (OR = 3.3). This last result highlighted the need for sanitary precautions to be taken when catching birds for transport. At the slaughterhouse, evisceration seemed to be the operation contributing most to the spread of contamination. Effective risk management solutions could include the systematic external rinsing of carcasses after evisceration and the implementation of slaughtering schedules according to the Campylobacter contamination status of flocks.     

Prevalence Analysis and Molecular Characterization of Salmonella at Different Processing Steps in Broiler Slaughter Plants in South Korea

In this study, changes in the prevalence of Salmonella during the processing of broiler chicken carcasses were investigated. A total of 1040 fecal swabs and chicken carcasses samples were collected from 2 processing plants at the 4 stages of broiler processing, which included live birds in slaughter line, postevisceration/prewashing, postwashing/prechilling, and postchilling, respectively. The intraspecific biodiversity of the Salmonella isolates was determined using a DiversiLab automated repetitive sequence‐based PCR (rep‐PCR) system. In both plants, the prevalence of Salmonella increased considerably after evisceration (from 4.6% to 30.8%, P < 0.05) and decreased after washing (from 30.8% to 25.4%, P < 0.05). However, the chilling step had little effect on Salmonella prevalence (from 25.4% to 22.7%, P > 0.05). The most frequent Salmonella serovar in plant A was Infantis (35.8%), followed by Enteritidis (26.2%) and Montevideo (15.0%), while Montevideo (43.6%) and Enteritidis (35.9%) were most prevalent in plant B. A difference in the rep‐PCR banding pattern was found to be related to the processing plant origin and serovar rather than sampling point or sampling day, although there were some exceptional strains.     

Analysis of ERIC-PCR genomic polymorphism of Salmonella isolates from chicken slaughter line

The chicken slaughter line is a source of cross-contamination of Salmonella. In this study, ERIC-PCR was applied to analyse the ERIC-PCR genomic polymorphism of Salmonella isolates from a commercial chicken slaughter line and to trace the route of contamination. Samples were collected from carcasses and contact surfaces at the points of post-evisceration, post-chilling and post-grading. The prevalence of Salmonella at the evisceration point was high but significantly decreased along the slaughter line. The ERIC-PCR fingerprints indicated that a total of seven groups were clustered, and the genotypic diversity of isolates progressively decreased along the slaughter line. By tracing the genotypic diversity, contact surfaces at post-evisceration were found to be the major contamination sources of Salmonella during chicken processing, since the genotype diversity of isolates from the post-evisceration point could be exactly matched to that from the post-chilling and post-grading points. Interestingly, three Salmonella strains were still detected after decontamination and washing; these three isolates having a strong capacity for attachment were able to produce biofilm on polystyrene surfaces. This study suggests that the evisceration point is the source of cross-contamination, with Salmonella isolates still present after washing procedure. Therefore, more effective measures must be undertaken to control the spread of Salmonella in such processing lines.     

Prevalence and serovars of Salmonella enterica on pig carcasses,slaughtered pigs and the environment of four Spanish slaughterhouses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella contamination and main serovars in pig slaughterhouses in Spain including carcasses, live animals and the environment. A total of 896 pig carcasses were randomly selected and swabbed before chilling in 3–5 visits to four pig slaughterhouses (A, B, C and D). Salmonella contamination was detected in 39.7% of the carcasses. The prevalence of positive carcasses was similar amongst slaughterhouses but significant differences were observed when taking sampling day into consideration within each of the slaughterhouses. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the prevalence of Salmonella contaminated carcasses (10.8%) was demonstrated in slaughterhouses C and D after chilling and cooling procedures.Sixteen batches of 10 animals were tracked from farm-to-slaughterhouse in slaughterhouses A and B to investigate the relationship between carcass contamination and contamination in live animals entering the slaughterhouse. No difference was found between infected and uninfected animals with respect to Salmonella contamination of the carcass although an increase in Salmonella contamination during the processing of live pigs into pork carcasses was evident. Regarding contamination in the slaughterhouse environment, Salmonella was isolated from most of the evaluated points in the slaughter line of the four studied slaughterhouses. Holding pens were identified as highly contaminated and what is more the ineffectiveness of the routinely cleaning protocols at this level was demonstrated in slaughterhouses C and D.The predominant Salmonella serovars found in carcasses, live pigs entering the slaughterhouse and the environment of the slaughterhouse were S. Typhimurium, S. Rissen, S. Derby and S. 4,[5],12:i:-. The same serovars were found in all the stages supporting the hypothesis that infected pigs are the main source of Salmonella contamination within slaughterhouses.     

High bacterial contamination of pig tonsils at slaughter

Food-borne zoonoses have a major health impact in industrial countries. Campylobacter spp., Salmonella enterica, Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes are high-risk food-borne zoonotic hazards in finishing pigs. The objectives of this work were (1) to study the isolation rate of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and L. monocytogenes in the tonsils and feces and (2) to determine the number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (MAB) and Escherichia coli in the tonsils of fattening pigs at slaughter. The samples, which were collected from one slaughterhouse on five occasions, originated from 50 pigs and 15 farms. The number of MAB varied from 6.40 to 7.82 log₁₀ CFU/g and E. coli from 4.38 to 6.53 log₁₀ CFU/g. Additionally, 31 (62%) of the tonsils were colonized with Y. enterocolitica and 16 (32%) with L. monocytogenes. Campylobacter spp. were more frequently excreted in feces and only 3 (6%) of the pigs carried Campylobacter spp. in the tonsils. No Salmonella spp. were isolated. The pig tonsils were shown to be colonized with a high number of bacteria including E. coli, which is the most important indicator for fecal contamination, and with Y. enterocolitica and L. monocytogenes, which are important food-borne pathogens. This study demonstrates that the tonsils are highly contaminated with micro-organisms and can be a very important source of contamination in the slaughterhouse.     

Campylobacter contamination of broiler caeca and carcasses at the slaughterhouse and correlation with Salmonella contamination

In order to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. on broiler chicken carcasses and the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in caeca, 58 French slaughterhouses were investigated in 2008. Enumeration of Campylobacter spp. was also performed in order to study the relation between caeca and carcass contamination. A pool of 10 caeca and one carcass were collected from 425 different batches over a 12-month period in 2008. Salmonella was isolated on 32 carcasses leading to a prevalence of 7.5% ([5.0-10.0]_95%CI). The prevalence of Campylobacter was 77.2% ([73.2-81.2]_95%CI) in caeca and 87.5% ([84.4-90.7]_95%CI) on carcasses. No significant correlation was found between Campylobacter and Salmonella. Positive values of Campylobacter were normally distributed and the average level was 8.05 log₁₀ cfu/g ([7.94-8.16]_95%CI) in caeca and 2.39 cfu/g ([2.30-2.48]_95%CI) on carcasses. A positive correlation (r = 0.59) was found between the mean of Campylobacter in caeca and on carcasses (p < 0.001). Thus, carcasses from batches with Campylobacter-positive caeca had significantly (p < 0.001) higher numbers of Campylobacter per gram than batches with negative caeca. These results show that Campylobacter can be present in both matrices and reduction in caeca could be a possible way to reduce the amount of bacteria on carcasses. Of the 2504 identifications performed, 3 species of Campylobacter (Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter lari) were identified. The main species recovered were C. jejuni and C. coli, which were isolated in 55.3% and 44.5% of positive samples, respectively. These two species were equally represented in caeca but C. jejuni was the most frequently isolated on carcasses with 57.1% and 42.5% of positive carcasses for C. jejuni and C. coli, respectively. This study underlines that target a reduction of Campylobacter on final products requires a decrease of contamination in caeca.     

The effect of slaughter operations on the contamination of chicken carcasses with thermotolerant Campylobacter

To evaluate the effect of specific slaughter operations on the contamination of broiler carcasses with naturally occurring thermotolerant Campylobacter, experiments were carried out in two Danish commercial slaughter plants (Plant I and Plant II). Six broiler flocks determined Campylobacter positive prior to slaughter were investigated at four sampling locations within each slaughter plant. Quantification of thermotolerant Campylobacter in 30 neck skin samples per flock per sampling location showed that the evisceration operation in Plant I led to a significant increase in the Campylobacter concentration of 0.5 log(10) cfu/g in average, whereas no significant changes were observed during this operation in Plant II. Air chilling (Plant I) and water chilling (Plant II), both including a carcass wash prior to the chilling operation, caused similar, but significant reductions of 0.83 and 0.97 log(10) cfu/g, respectively. In packed frozen chickens (Plant II) an additional reduction of 1.38 log(10) cfu/g in average was obtained due to the freezing operation. In packed chilled chickens (Plant I), however, the number of thermotolerant Campylobacter per gram remained at the same level as after air chilling. Enumeration of thermotolerant Campylobacter in 30 intestinal samples per flock showed that in two of the six flocks examined the within flock colonization was very low (<3% and 27% positive samples). The remaining four flocks were colonized at percentages of 100 (three flocks) and 97 (one flock) and had intestinal mean counts ranging from 6.65 to 8.20 log(10) cfu/g. A correlation between Campylobacter concentrations in intestinal content and on chicken carcasses after the defeathering operation was documented. This finding indicates that a reduction in the Campylobacter concentration on chicken carcasses may also be obtained by interventions aimed at reducing the concentration of Campylobacter in the intestines of the living birds.     

Multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp. and Salmonella Enteritidis in food

Multiplex PCR assay (mPCR) for the detection of Salmonella spp. and S. Enteritidis was developed in this study using artificially contaminated chicken carcasses. The assay showed 100% specificity to detect approximately 1 CFU of Salmonella in 10 g of chicken skin after non‐selective enrichment. The mPCR was evaluated in Minas cheese, fresh pork sausage and chicken carcasses commercially available. Salmonella spp. was detected in nine of sixty‐six chicken carcasses, five of fifty‐two cheese samples, and five of fifty‐two sausage samples. The serovar Enteritidis was detected in two samples of contaminated sausage. The mPCR results were confirmed by conventional culture and biochemical identification of the isolates. Serotyping confirmed the presence of S. Enteritidis in sausage samples and showed contamination by serovars Schwarzengrund and Montevideo in chicken carcasses.     

Comparative Study of Alternative Methods for Food Safety Control in Poultry Slaughterhouses

The sensitivity of different methods for the isolation and identification of Campylobacter, Listeria and Salmonella was compared, and their application in food safety control in a poultry slaughterhouse was evaluated. The VIDAS, SimPlate, Reveal and VIP systems were used, together with traditional microbiological methods. The study was carried out in a slaughterhouse and in the poultry carving room. One hundred and twenty samples (40 per microorganism) obtained from carcasses, viscera, different chicken parts, water and the environment were evaluated. For Campylobacter, the VIDAS system performed better than plate confirmation. The traditional method yielded results similar to those obtained with the SimPlate method. For Listeria, the plate count method proved less sensitive than the VIDAS, VIP and Reveal systems, which yielded similar results. For Salmonella, the VIDAS system displayed a detection rate comparable to that of traditional methods, while the Reveal system detected twice as many positive samples (16 in total). The Reveal method performed significantly better than either the plate count method or the VIDAS system. The alternative methods used here could be successfully applied in food safety control in poultry slaughterhouses, providing similar or better results and taking less time to perform. The VIDAS system, in general, and the Reveal system in the case of Listeria and Salmonella, appear to be effective alternatives to traditional methods.     

Prediction of Salmonella carcass contamination by a comparative quantitative analysis of E. coli and Salmonella during pig slaughter

Faecal contamination of carcasses in the slaughterhouse is generally considered to be the source of Salmonella on pork. In this study the hygiene indicator Escherichia coli is used to quantify faecal contamination of carcasses and it is hypothesized that it can be used to predict the quantitative carcass contamination with Salmonella, when the distribution of Salmonella concentrations in faeces is known. Paired pig sample data (faecal samples and carcass swabs) were obtained from five slaughterhouses and analysed for prevalence and concentrations of E. coli and Salmonella. A simple model was developed to describe the faecal contamination of carcasses using the E. coli data. The E. coli results suggested different hygiene performances in different slaughterhouses, and showed that a model assuming that carcasses are predominantly contaminated by their own faeces was not appropriate. Observed Salmonella prevalences were low (on average 1.9% on carcasses) and between slaughterhouses the prevalences ranked differently than the hygiene performance based on the E. coli data suggested. Also, the Salmonella concentrations predicted using E. coli as a faecal indicator were lower than the observed Salmonella concentrations. It is concluded that the faecal carriage of Salmonella together with the faecal contamination of carcasses, as predicted from E. coli data in the animal faeces and hygiene performance of the slaughterhouse, is not sufficient to explain carcass contamination with Salmonella. Our extensive data set showed that other factors than the observed faecal carriage of Salmonella by the individual animals brought to slaughter, play a more important role in the Salmonella carcass contamination of pork.     

Comprehensive Review of Campylobacter and Poultry Processing

Campylobacter has been recognized as a leading bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the United States, with 40000 documented cases annually. Epidemiological data suggest that contaminated products of animal origin, especially poultry, contribute significantly to campylobacteriosis. Thus, reduction of contamination of raw poultry would have a large impact in reducing incidence of illness. Contamination occurs both on the farm and in poultry slaughter plants. Routine procedures on the farm such as feed withdrawal, poultry handling, and transportation practices have a documented effect on Campylobacter levels at the processing plant. At the plant, defeathering, evisceration, and carcass chillers have been documented to cross‐contaminate poultry carcasses. Carcass washings and the application of processing aids have been shown to reduce populations of Campylobacter in the carcasses by log₁₀ 0.5 log₁₀ 1.5; however, populations of Campylobacter have been shown to enter a poultry processing plant at levels between log₁₀ 5 colony‐forming units (CFU)/mL and log₁₀ 8 CFU/mL of carcass rinse. The purpose of this article is to review Campylobacter, the infection that it causes, its association with poultry, contamination sources during processing, and intervention methods.     

Campylobacter spp. contamination of chicken carcasses during processing in relation to flock colonisation

The presence and numbers of campylobacters on chicken carcasses from 26 slaughter groups, originating from 22 single-house flocks and processed in four UK plants, were studied in relation to the level of flock colonisation determined by examining the caecal contents of at least ten birds per group. The prevalence of campylobacters on carcasses from five campylobacter-negative flocks processed just after other negative flocks was low (8.0 log(10) cfu) than carcasses originating from low prevalence flocks (average of 2.3 log(10) cfu; range: <1.1 to 4.1 log(10) cfu). There was a reduction in the numbers of campylobacters on carcasses between plucking and chilling in eight of ten fully colonised flocks. In another eight flocks, a significant (P<0.001) decrease (0.8 log(10) cfu) in the number of campylobacters on carcasses from just before to after chilling was detected. Campylobacter spp. could be isolated from aerosols, particles and droplets in considerable numbers in the hanging-on, defeathering and evisceration areas but not in the chillers. This was the case even when campylobacters were not isolated from the target flock. Campylobacters on carcasses from two partly colonised flocks were either the same subtype, as determined by speciation, Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and flaA Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) typing, as those in the fully colonised flocks processed previously, although not necessarily the most prevalent ones; or were the same subtypes as those found in the caeca of the flock itself. The prevalences of the different campylobacter subtypes found on carcasses from two fully colonised flocks did not closely reflect those found in the caeca. MLST combined with flaA RFLP provided a good method for ascertaining the relatedness of strains isolated from carcasses and caecal contents. This study showed that carcass contamination is related to the within-flock prevalence of campylobacter colonisation, but that contamination from previously processed flocks was also significant, especially on carcasses from low prevalence flocks. Forced dry air cooling of carcasses reduced contamination levels.     

Prevalence and numbers of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses collected at rehang and postchill in 20 U.S. processing plants

Campylobacter is a human pathogen associated with chicken and chicken meat products. This study was designed to examine the prevalence and number of Campylobacter on broiler chicken carcasses in commercial processing plants in the United States. Carcass samples were collected from each of 20 U.S. plants four times, roughly approximating the four seasons of 2005. At each plant on each sample day, 10 carcasses were collected at rehang (prior to evisceration), and 10 carcasses from the same flock were collected postchill. A total of 800 carcasses were collected at rehang and another 800 were collected postchill. All carcasses were subjected to a whole-carcass rinse, and the rinse diluent was cultured for Campylobacter. The overall mean number of Campylobacter detected on carcasses at rehang was 2.66 log CFU per ml of carcass rinse. In each plant, the Campylobacter numbers were significantly reduced by broiler processing; the mean concentration after chill was 0.43 log CFU/ml. Overall prevalence was also reduced by processing from a mean of > or =30 of 40 carcasses at rehang to > or =14 of 40 carcasses at postchill. Seven different on-line reprocessing techniques were applied in the test plants, and all techniques resulted in <1 log CFU/ml after chilling. Use of a chlorinated carcass wash before evisceration did not affect the postchill Campylobacter numbers. However, use of chlorine in the chill tank was related to lower numbers on postchill carcasses. Overall, U.S. commercial poultry slaughter operations are successful in significantly lowering the prevalence and number of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses during processing.     

Antibacterial Efficacy of Electrochemically Activated Solution for Poultry Spraying and Chilling

An electrochemically activated solution (EAS) was evaluated for its antibacterial efficacy against Salmonella typhimurium on chicken carcasses during inside/outside (I/O) birdwasher spraying at 20°C and 413 kPa for 17s and chilling at 4°C for 45 min in a pilot plant. The EAS with 50 ppm of oxidants in terms of free chlorine (CI) in the I/O spray reduced Salmonella on carcasses by 1.39 log₁₀ CFU/carcass, whereas tap water and a 50 ppm (CI) hypochlorite solution reduced Salmonella by 0.86 and 0.87 log₁₀ CFU/carcass, respectively. Further chilling using iced EAS (50 ppm of CI) did not reduce Salmonella on carcasses but eliminated Salmonella in the chiller water.     

Campylobacter: An overview of cases,occurrence in food,contamination sources,and antimicrobial resistance in Brazil

Campylobacter has been the most prevalent microorganism associated with foodborne gastroenteritis in developed countries in the last years. The consumption of contaminated chicken meat is the main source of campylobacteriosis in humans. However, in developing countries, Campylobacter has not been recognized as a food safety problem. Here, we provide an overview of studies focusing on occurrence of Campylobacter in Brazilian chicken processing chain, epidemiological data, contamination sources, antimicrobial resistance and fields where more studies are needed. Over the past 15 years, only five foodborne outbreaks involving 37 cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in Brazil. However, the occurrence of Campylobacter in samples of carcasses and chicken products was about 32.7%, and the microbial load ranged from <0.30 to 5.15 log10 CFU. This pathogen was also found in feces, caecum, intestine and cloaca of chicken (50.9%), chicken litter (65.4%), and water (13.7%). The most prevalent species identified in the studies were C. jejuni (80%) and C. coli (19.6%). In addition, high antimicrobial resistance rates were noted for cephalosporins (98.5–100%), quinolones (84.5%), and fluoroquinolones (77.6–82.8%). This review demonstrates that Campylobacter seems to be an important pathogen in the chicken processing chain and, consequently, for public health in Brazil.     

The production and microbiological status of skin-on sheep carcasses

There is a demand by certain ethnic consumer groups in the United Kingdom for skin-on, singed carcasses, primarily from older sheep, but their production is illegal under current EU legislation. The aim of this study was to devise a protocol to produce carcasses having the desired ‘smoked’ colour and odour and an acceptable microbiology. A successful result could form the basis of a case to revise the legislation. Three key steps in the selected procedure were carcass singeing using specially designed gas burner equipment, pressure washing to clean the carcass and then evisceration. It was shown that a second heat application, termed ‘toasting’, if applied after evisceration, significantly (P < 0.001) reduced Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts on carcasses before chilling. Microbiological quality was also improved when toasting was the final step, following carcass splitting and inspection. Carcasses produced in this way had significantly (P < 0.001) lower Enterobacteriaceae and TVC counts before chilling than conventionally dressed sheep carcasses produced in the same abattoir.     

Prevalence of tetracycline resistance and genotypic analysis of populations of Escherichia coli from animals, carcasses and cuts processed at a pig slaughterhouse

A Danish pig slaughterhouse was visited in this study to investigate the impact of carcass processing on prevalence of tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli, and to identify the origins of carcass contaminations with E. coli by assessing genetic diversity of E. coli populations on carcasses. A total of 105 carcasses were sampled at five sequential stages: after stunning, after scalding, after splitting, after cooling and after cutting. Total and tetracycline-resistant E. coli were counted for each sample and tetracycline resistance prevalence per sample was calculated by the fraction of tetracycline-resistant E. coli out of total E. coli. From 15 repeatedly sampled carcasses, 422 E. coli isolates from faeces, stunned carcasses, split carcasses and chilled carcasses were examined by pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. The results showed that E. coli counts and the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant E. coli per sample were both progressively reduced after each sampling stage. PFGE analysis showed that E. coli populations from stunned carcasses were highly genetically diverse, compared with those from split carcasses and faeces. Thirteen carcasses (87%) were contaminated with E. coli that were also isolated from faeces of either the same or other pigs slaughtered on the same day; and 80% of stunned carcasses shared the same E. coli PFGE subtypes. The results suggest that some carcass processing steps in the slaughterhouse were effective in reducing both E. coli numbers and the tetracycline resistance prevalence in E. coli on carcasses. Faeces from the same or other pigs slaughtered on the same day were likely to be an important source of E. coli carcass contamination. Combined data from E. coli enumeration, PFGE typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing suggest that tetracycline-susceptible E. coli probably persisted better compared to resistant ones during the carcass processing.     

Efficacy of Neutral pH Electrolyzed Water in Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104 on Fresh Produce Items using an Automated Washer at Simulated Food Service Conditions

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of neutral pH electrolyzed (NEO) water (155 mg/L free chlorine, pH 7.5) in reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium DT 104 on romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes washed in an automated produce washer for different times and washing speeds. Tomatoes and lettuce leaves were spot inoculated with 100 μL of a 5 strain cocktail mixture of either pathogen and washed with 10 or 8 L of NEO water, respectively. Washing lettuce for 30 min at 65 rpm led to the greatest reductions, with 4.2 and 5.9 log CFU/g reductions achieved for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium respectively on romaine, whereas iceberg lettuce reductions were 3.2 and 4.6 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium respectively. Washing tomatoes for 10 min at 65 rpm achieved reductions greater than 8 and 6 log CFU/tomato on S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 respectively. All pathogens were completely inactivated in NEO water wash solutions. No detrimental effects on the visual quality of the produce studied were observed under all treatment conditions. Results show the adoption of this washing procedure in food service operations could be useful in ensuring produce safety.     

Ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter persists in raw retail chicken after the fluoroquinolone ban

In 2005, the FDA withdrew approval for the use of fluoroquinolones in live poultry production. To assess any changes in countable numbers of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter before and after the fluoroquinolone withdrawal, retail whole raw chicken carcasses (RTCC) purchased in Northwest Arkansas from 2004 to 2006 were sampled for this purpose. Using a previously published direct-plating method developed in our laboratory, we quantified trends of Campylobacter and ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter loads by direct plating whole chicken carcass rinses on Campylobacter agar (CA) or Campylobacter agar containing 8.6 µg/ml ciprofloxacin (CCA). Countable populations of Campylobacter were recovered from 74, 96, and 63% of carcasses sampled in 2004, 2005, and 2006 respectively. The percentages of carcasses with minimum detectable levels of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter were 20, 42 and 33%, sampled in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. Our 3 year analysis in one geographical area indicated a persistence of Campylobacter and ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter on retail raw chicken carcasses despite the cessation of fluoroquinolone use in poultry production.     

Impact of Rearing Conditions on the Microbiological Quality of Raw Retail Poultry Meat

There is a gap in knowledge of microbiological quality in raw chicken products produced by nonconventional methods and no studies have reported the microbiological quality of turkeys produced under different rearing environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the microbiological quality of conventionally and organically reared whole chicken and turkey carcasses purchased from 3 retail outlets in Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.A. A total of 100 raw broiler chickens organically (n = 50) and 50 raw turkey carcasses consisting of 3 brands reared either conventionally (n = 25) or organically (n = 25) were evaluated. The FDA BAM protocol for rinsing poultry carcasses was used to enumerate of aerobic bacteria, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus spp., and for qualitative analysis of Salmonella. Organic chickens from one brand had the highest average counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. and Campylobacter (4.8, 4.8, and 4.7 Log₁₀ CFU/mL rinsate, respectively) while the other organic brand had the lowest average counts (3.4, 3.3, and 3.1, respectively) of all 4 brands evaluated. The organic turkeys had the highest average counts of these same bacteria (4, 3.9, and 3.8, respectively) compared to the 2 brands of conventional turkeys evaluated. Salmonella (5% prevalence) was isolated only from organic chickens and turkeys. From these data, it appears that the microbiological quality of the raw product was not dependent on rearing conditions and, thus, it cannot be assumed that organic raw poultry is safer than conventionally raised poultry in terms of microbiological quality.