title: Prevalence and quantification of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in Italian retail poultry meat: Analysis of influencing factors.
abstract: Retail poultry meat is a crucial vehicle for consumers' exposure to Campylobacters, but no official controls are currently applied in Italy. The aim of this study was the evaluation of Campylobacter contamination of a wide range of poultry meats marketed in Italy. N. 472 chicken and turkey meat samples (sectioned meats, offal, meat preparations and products) were taken from slaughterhouses, deboning plants and different retailers and submitted to detection/enumeration of Campylobacter spp. The isolates were identified by phenotypic and biomolecular techniques. Campylobacter spp. was detected in 34.1% of the samples, with general low counts. Higher values were observed in offal (especially liver) and sectioned meats, with significantly higher rates in skin-on samples (86.8% vs 32.7%). Minced meat preparations showed lower prevalence (22.4% vs 58.3%) and counts than whole pieces. Decreasing rates were observed among slaughterhouses (80%), deboning plants (49%), butcher's shops (37%) and large scale retailers (25%). Sectioned chicken meats were significantly more contaminated than turkey meats. Almost all the isolates were identified as C. jejuni or C. coli, with similar prevalences (18.4% and 20.5%, respectively); C. jejuni was predominant only in samples from slaughterhouses/deboning plants. For setting future control programs, meat typology should be considered the main critical factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, IT-20133, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: simone.stella@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, IT-20133, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soncini
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Università degli Studi di Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Viale dell'Annunziata, IT-98168, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: gziino@unime.it.
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ziino
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Università degli Studi di Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Viale dell'Annunziata, IT-98168, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: apanebianco@unime.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panebianco
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Università di Pisa, viale delle Piagge 2, IT-56124, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.pedonese@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pedonese
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Università di Pisa, viale delle Piagge 2, IT-56124, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.nuvoloni@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nuvoloni
authors.affiliation: Italian National Reference Laboratory of Campylobacter, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Via Campo Boario, IT-64100, Teramo, Italy. Electronic address: e.digiannatale@izs.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Giannatale
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via de Sanctis s.n.c., IT-86100, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: colavita@unimol.it.
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colavita
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, IT 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy. Electronic address: leonardo.alberghini@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alberghini
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, IT 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy. Electronic address: valerio.giaccone@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giaccone
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011200:Poultry / Q000382:microbiology*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Campylobacter; Italian market; Poultry meat; Retail