EFSA unveils new campylobacter findings

EFSA has published an evaluation of factors that may contribute to the spread of Campylobacter in live chickens and chicken carcasses in the EU. The scientific report follows the publication of the first EU-wide survey carried out by Member States on the occurrence of this bacterium in chickens and their carcasses.
In the report, EFSA states that batches of chickens infected with Campylobacter are 30 times more likely to produce carcasses contaminated with Campylobacter and that infected batches are also more likely to produce carcasses with higher numbers of Campylobacter on them. The report specifies however, that contaminated carcasses could also derive from non-infected batches of chickens, implying possible cross-contamination in the slaughterhouse.

The report published by EFSA’s Zoonoses Data Collection Unit focuses specifically on contamination of chickens with Campylobacter in the early stages of the food chain: that is at the beginning and at the end of the slaughter line, when the chickens arrive at the slaughterhouse and when their carcasses are chilled after slaughtering.
The findings will be used by risk assessors such as EFSA’s Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) Panel and also by risk managers at Member States and EU level for the definition of possible control options.