Comparing European Campylobacter surveillance in broilers
The national monitoring, surveillance, and control measures implemented for Campylobacter in the broiler meat chain are not harmonized across EU/EEA countries. A new study aims to describe and compare the different surveillance programs for Campylobacter in broiler production across various European countries and identify the most promising practices to control Campylobacter along the broiler meat chain. The study describes the ongoing initiatives implemented according to current EU legislation, as well as national initiatives.
Campylobacter is an important foodborne pathogen, as it is associated with a significant disease burden across Europe. Among various sources, Campylobacter infections in humans are often related to the consumption of undercooked poultry meat or improper handling of poultry meat. Generally, Campylobacter causes acute diarrheal disease in humans. However, in children and individuals with compromised immune systems, the infection can be severe and develop into post-infectious sequelae, such as gastrointestinal and joint disorders or immune-mediated neurological disorders, such as Miller-Fisher Syndrome and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
An EFSA scientific opinion estimated that broiler meat alone accounted for 20–30% of human Campylobacteriosis cases and found that these cases could be reduced by >50% or even >90% if the microbiological criterion in all slaughter batches tested for neck and breast skin were set to a critical limit of 1000 or 500 CFU/g.
The study reveals that many European countries test neck skin samples for Campylobacter as per the Process Hygiene Criterion (PHC) set by European Regulation. Variations to the legal plan are seen in some countries, such as Norway and Iceland, where weekly sampling is performed during infection peak periods only, or in Iceland, where the Campylobacter limit is set at 500 CFU/g instead of 1000 CFU/g. Furthermore, northern European countries have implemented national Campylobacter surveillance plans. Denmark tests cloaca and leg skin samples at the slaughterhouses and meat samples at retail, while Finland, Norway, and Sweden test caeca at slaughterhouses. In contrast, Iceland tests feces on farms. Iceland and Norway test flocks close to the slaughter date, and when a farm tests positive, competent authorities implement measures such as logistic slaughter, heat treatment, or freezing the meat from these flocks. In Iceland, frozen meat is further processed before being put on the market. Many European countries have implemented a surveillance system for Campylobacter in the broiler meat chain, aiming to reduce broiler carcass contamination at the slaughterhouses. However, in a few countries, measures are also taken to reduce and control the spread of Campylobacter in broiler flocks.
