Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in turkey meat from a slaughterhouse and in turkey meat retail products.
One hundred and forty-four samples of chilled turkey meat from six flocks, taken directly from the slaughterhouse, and 100 samples of turkey meat retail products were examined. Over one-quarter (29.2%) of the tested samples from the slaughterhouse were Campylobacter positive, showing high variability in the flocks. The lowest percentage of Campylobacter-positive samples was found in flocks I and III (8.3%), whereas, in flock VI, 91.7% of the samples were Campylobacter positive. Turkey meat retail products showed a prevalence of 34% for Campylobacter. Heat-treated meat was negative for Campylobacter. Quantitative studies of the samples taken at the slaughterhouse revealed a mean log range of 1.9-2.5 CFU g(-1)Campylobacter spp. Results from the quantification of retail products gave a mean log value of 2.1 CFU g(-1).
Atanassova
Viktoria
V
School of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety, Hanover, Germany. viktoria.atanassova@tiho-hannover.de
Reich
Felix
F
Beckmann
Lutz
L
Klein
Günter
G
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014422:Turkeys