Rigorous Sanitary Measures to Reduce Campylobacter in Chicken Production as an Alternative to the Prophylaxis Use of Antibiotics
Campylobacteriosis is a leading cause of food poisoning in Europe, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and identifying reservoirs of infection is important in disease prevention. Although campylobacteriosis is considered rare in Africa, research indicates that chicken meat is contaminated in African countries as well. Monitoring the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in broiler meat production indicates variability depending on the country, season, source of the sample and hygiene in primary production (farms) and broiler meat processing (slaughterhouses/production plants). Therefore, the purpose of this review was to improve the understanding of the impact of implementing appropriate sanitation measures on reducing contamination with Campylobacter species in primary production and processing of chicken meat, in facilities with implemented HACCP and Halal control systems. The alignment with EU legislation regulates hygiene criteria in primary production and processing of chicken meat. The application of rigorous hygiene measures at all stages of chicken meat production can reduce the number of thermophilic Campylobacter species on broiler chicken carcasses. By setting the recommended EU critical limit of 1000 CFU/g for contamination of broiler neck skin in slaughterhouses, the incidence of campylobacteriosis can be reduced by 40% to 90%.