Understanding the Persistence of Campylobacter Infections Despite Reduction in Chicken Meat Contamination

Experts have suggested reasons why a reduction of Campylobacter in chicken meat has not led to a decrease in infections in the United Kingdom.

Ideas include the selected meat contamination target being the wrong one to focus on as well as the role of other sources of infection and imported poultry meat.

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the UK. Cases are frequently attributed to chicken. In 2010, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) began a Campylobacter reduction program to reduce contamination levels in poultry.

With help from industry, there was a reduction in the proportion of chickens contaminated with Campylobacter at levels above 1,000 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) at retail from 19 percent in 2014 to 5 percent in 2017; recent data indicates these levels have been maintained. However, human cases have remained stable at around 100 per 100,000 population between 2014 and 2019.

Challenges in Achieving Desired Results

When setting the original target, modelling suggested that introducing interventions at farm and slaughterhouse level could lead to a 15 to 30 percent reduction in human cases.

FSA is reviewing its Campylobacter campaign to understand why the reduction in prevalence in chicken meat was not associated with a decrease in sick people.

An expert elicitation exercise was conducted to generate hypotheses that might explain this finding.

Possible Explanations and Strategies

Forty-one experts from various countries were recruited to generate ideas on the persistence of Campylobacter infections despite reductions in chicken meat contamination.

Eight suggestions were put forward as likely explanations for the discrepancy between reduced contamination levels and stable infection rates, including the role of imported poultry meat, other food sources, and inadequate food hygiene practices.

Ranked hypotheses will guide future research and intervention strategies by FSA to address the ongoing challenge of Campylobacter infections.

Conclusion

Efforts to reduce Campylobacter infections in the UK have faced challenges despite successful reductions in chicken meat contamination levels. Continued research and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial in developing effective strategies to combat this prevalent foodborne illness.