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Title: ENUMERATION OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. IN BROILER FECES AND IN CORRESPONDING PROCESSED CARCASSES

Author
item Stern, Norman
item ROBACH, M - WAYNE POULTRY

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2003
Publication Date: 10/27/2003
Citation: STERN, N.J., ROBACH, M.C. ENUMERATION OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. IN BROILER FECES AND IN CORRESPONDING PROCESSED CARCASSES. JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION. 2003. V. 66. No. 9. 1557-1563.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter is the most frequently reported bacterial agent causing human enteric disease. Poultry is recognized as an important source in its disease transmission. We wished to determine what role levels found in broiler production had to do with levels found in the processed product. We also wished to determine whether progress has been made in controlling the levels of public exposure over the past seven years. We sampled 20 broiler chicken flocks in 1995 and 11 flocks in 2001. We counted Campylobacter spp. in fresh fecal broiler droppings and the next morning we counted the numbers per carcass. We observed a significant reduction in levels of Campylobacter spp. associated with fully processed broiler carcasses during 2001 compared with 1995. There was an inconsistent association of levels of Campylobacter spp. found in production and processing, indicating that many factors influence the levels found on processed broilers. Levels of the organism on freshly processed poultry from contaminated flocks have been reduced from an average of 13,200 cells/carcass in 1995 to 1,100 cells/carcass in 2001. This reduction in levels on processed carcasses may have contributed to the observed reduced frequency in human disease. The data will assist in development of risk assessment models for Campylobacter spp. and, suggests that measures taken in the poultry industry have reduced consumer exposure.

Technical Abstract: The study presents the levels of Campylobacter spp. contamination in feces at the end of broiler production and the levels found on the processed carcasses. We also compared levels of contamination on carcasses produced in 1995 and 2001, before and after HACCP implementation. Over 3,500 samples were enumerated. 20 commercial flocks of broiler chickens were sampled in 1995 and 11 flocks in 2001 . We used a cultural plating method to individually enumerate Campylobacter spp. in 50 fresh fecal droppings from broilers one day prior to slaughter in each flock. The next morning these flocks were first processed in the plant and we enumerated the organism per carcass (50 per flock), pre-chill (in 2001) and after the chilling operation (50 carcasses per flock). We observed a significant reduction in levels of Campylobacter spp. associated with fully processed broiler carcasses during 2001 compared with 1995. There was an inconsistent association of levels of Campylobacter spp. found in production and processing, indicating multifaceted influences of production factors, transport and processing of broilers. Levels of the organism on freshly processed poultry have been reduced from an average of 13,000 CFU/carcass in 1995 to 1,100 CFU/carcass in 2001. This reduction in levels on processed carcasses may have contributed to the observed reduced frequency in human disease.