Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from broilers at conventional and kosher abattoirs and retail stores.

ABSTRACT

We studied and compared the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in chicken carcasses from conventional and kosher broiler abattoirs and retail stores. The prevalence of thermotolerant Campylobacter-positive carcasses was 94.0 (kosher) and 32.0% (conventional) (p<0.0001), while the prevalence of samples contaminated with C. jejuni, C. coli and simultaneously with both species was 36.0, 2.0 and 56.0% (kosher) and 26.0, 4.0 and 2.0% (conventional) (p<0.0001), respectively. Samples of chicken carcasses (n=25) and food contact surfaces (tables, n=25; knives, n=25) from 25 retails were collected and risk quantification was performed. Retails were categorized as high-risk (n=11), moderate-risk (n=11) and low-risk (n=3). Nineteen (76.0%) carcasses, 20 (80.0%) tables and 18 (72.0%) knives were Campylobacter-positive. Retails and abattoirs proved to be sources of carcass contamination with Campylobacter spp. Carcasses from kosher abattoirs were mostly contaminated with Campylobacter spp., whereas C. coli was the most prevalent species isolated from carcasses in retail stores.