title: Characterization of illegal food items and identification of foodborne pathogens brought into the European Union via two major German airports.
abstract: Foods of animal origin brought illegally from third party countries into the European Community pose a risk for the introduction of diseases. This can lead to animal disease outbreaks with significant economic and social costs and subsequent severe trade restrictions. Further, disease outbreaks in humans due to illegally imported foods of animal origin have been described, yet, there are very few studies examining the potential human health impact. Passenger baggage is the most likely route by which illegal products enter a country. Therefore, the volume and geographic origin of foods of animal origin introduced illegally into Germany via the Frankfurt International Airport and Berlin-Schönefeld Airport by passenger luggage were characterized. Further, the occurrence of foodborne zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., Yersinia spp., Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) and Brucella spp. and the microbial quality of the foods were analysed by total bacterial count. Between 2012 and 2013, a total of 663 food items were seized from 296 passengers arriving in Germany from 35 different departure countries. The majority of confiscates (51%) originated from Turkey and Russia. A selection of 474 samples was subjected to microbiological analyses. Twenty-three food products tested positive for at least one of the pathogens analysed. The majority of the contaminated foods were meat (33%) or meat products (42%), and milk products (21%). Considering that only a small fraction of arriving passengers is subjected to airport custom controls and only a small number of confiscated foods could be analysed during this study, further investigations are needed to understand the public health risks posed by illegally introduced food items.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beutlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: Jens-Andre.Hammerl@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Jens Andre
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hammerl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: Bernd.Appel@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: Karsten.Noeckler@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nöckler
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: Reiner.Helmuth@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Helmuth
authors.affiliation: Hesse State Laboratory, Border Inspection Post Frankfurt Airport, Building 454, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: Kristine.Joest@lhl.hessen.de.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jöst
authors.affiliation: Hesse State Laboratory, Border Inspection Post Frankfurt Airport, Building 454, 60549 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: Marie-Luise.Ludwig@lhl.hessen.de.
authors.forename: Marie-Luise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Border Inspection Post Berlin Schönefeld Airport, AirCargo Center Berlin, Georg-Wulf-Straße 1, 12529 Schönefeld, Germany. Electronic address: GVD.Schoenefeld@LUGV.Brandenburg.de.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.affiliation: Border Inspection Post Berlin Schönefeld Airport, AirCargo Center Berlin, Georg-Wulf-Straße 1, 12529 Schönefeld, Germany. Electronic address: GVD.Schoenefeld@LUGV.Brandenburg.de.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bechtold
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: Anne.Mayer-Scholl@bfr.bund.de.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayer-Scholl
mesh_terms: D059028:Airports; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D005062:European Union; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005858:Germany; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014195:Travel
keywords: Airport customs; Europe; Food; Foodborne pathogens; Illegal imports; Travel