Quantitative detection of Campylobacter spp. on turkey carcasses and turkey meat

Quantitative data on the occurrence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. on poultry carcasses and poultry meat are needed to perform quantitative risk assessments and to verify the effect of different intervention strategies. Aim of this study was to generate qualitative and quantitative data on the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. on turkey carcasses (neck skin) and different turkey meat products. For that, 171 neck skin samples, 169 turkey meat samples and 30 turkey minced meat samples were collected at a poultry abattoir and processing plant. The prevalence of Campylobacter on neck skin was 83.0% and the mean number was 2.00 log(10) cfu/g. For turkey meat samples with skin (wings and thighs) the detected prevalence was 68.2% and mean number 1.73 log(10) cfu/g, respectively. No significant differences of the prevalence and the mean number of campylobacters between turkey meat samples with and without skin were detectable. Turkey meat samples without skin (breast filet) showed a prevalence of 79.0% and a mean number of 1.58 log(10) cfu/g. No campylobacters were detectable in the turkey minced meat samples. Large variations between the detectable numbers of Campylobacter spp. were observed (maximum number up to 3.98 log(10) cfu/g for turkey meat with skin) and confirm the importance of an early detection (before or during slaughter and processing) of heavily contaminated slaughter lots. Practical intervention strategies are needed to reduce the number of campylobacters especially on these highly contaminated slaughter lots and carcasses.