title: Microbiological criteria for Campylobacter in broiler carcasses in Italy: a possible approach to derive them.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to provide suitable microbiological criteria (MC) for Campylobacter in broiler carcasses and a sampling plan to verify compliance with such criteria. Data were gathered in the presence and concentration of Campylobacter in broiler carcasses collected in three different Italian slaughterhouses, labelled as A, B and C. The sampling plan to be validated in each slaughterhouse included the analysis of three different carcasses collected immediately after chilling from 30 different lots, for a total of 90 samples per slaughterhouse. The number of positive samples containing above 100 CFU/g and above 1,000 CFU/g throughout the 30 tested lots was determined to estimate between-lot variability. Based on this information, the performance of four MC was evaluated for lot compliance: i) n=3; c=0; m=100 CFU/g; ii) n=3; c=0; m=1,000 CFU/g; iii) n=3; c=1; m=1,000 CFU/g and iv) n=3; c=2; m=1,000 CFU/g. Positive Campylobacter samples were found in 60% of the lots tested in slaughterhouses A and C and in 73.3% of lots from slaughterhouse B. The differences among the three slaughterhouses in the mean Campylobacter levels found in positive samples were not significant and were used to evaluate the performance of the MC. The level of lot compliance to different MC was calculated and for the most stringent one (n=3; c=0; m=100 CFU/g) was 40% at slaughterhouses A and C but only 26.7% at slaughterhouse B. The results of this study show an alternative approach to establish MC for Campylobacter in broilers. According to (1) Campylobacter prevalence and concentration in Italy, (2) applied experimental plan and (3) selected slaughterhouses, the number of compliant lots to the suggested MC ranged between 26.7 and 100%. The selection of the fit for purpose MC is a risk manager decision, based on a reasonable balance between public health and cost for poultry industries.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Comin
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Darwin, 14014 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via del Florio 2, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manfreda
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Darwin, 14014 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: García-Gimeno
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paiusco
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Medici
authors.affiliation: Servizio Igiene degli Alimenti di Origine Animale, Az. ULSS no. 6 Vicenza, Viale Camisano 61/69, 36100 Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Terza
authors.affiliation: Servizio Igiene degli Alimenti di Origine Animale, Az. ULSS no. 6 Vicenza, Viale Camisano 61/69, 36100 Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via del Florio 2, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: alessandra.decesare@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Cesare
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Broiler carcasses; Campylobacter; Microbiological criteria; Sampling plan