Retail to fork quantitative risk assessment of Campylobacter in poultry meat preparations in Belgium using country specific baseline data and consumption survey

Campylobacter spp. are still the major bacterial cause of infectious diarrheal illness in Belgium and in many other countries. In 2003, the Superior Health Council of the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment initiated a risk assessment of Campylobacter spp. contamination in poultry meat preparations. The limitation in data for the local situation in Belgium in consumer behaviour and also the semi-quantitative nature of concentration of Campylobacter spp. due to presence/absence testing was identified as an important information gap. The aim of this study is to refine and update with recently collected data the previous retail to fork quantitative risk assessment model for poultry meat preparations to estimate the risk for campylobacteriosis for the Belgian consumer. In the proposed risk assessment model, data were included from a 2007 national baseline study providing quantitative Campylobacter data in Belgian poultry meat preparations. Survival data describing effects of undercooking, cooling and freezing on Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat preparation are also introduced in the model. Detailed data on poultry consumption and food handling and preparation practices by Belgian consumers are included in the model. A probabilistic model was developed in Excel and @Risk. The risk estimate of the model relates to the incidence of illness (campylobacteriosis) in the Belgian population due to consumption of poultry meat preparations. The model predicts a yearly incidence of 0.09% due to the consumption of poultry meat preparations and current retail to fork practices. By scenario and sensitivity analysis, possible risk mitigation strategies were evaluated. Setting an action limit and rejecting highly contaminated (> 100 CFU/g) poultry meat preparations before distribution to the market would lead to a fifty-percent reduction of incidence of illness. Recommendation to consumers to freeze poultry meat preparations could result in a fourfold reduction, indicating the importance of home freezing. The results also indicate that good kitchen hygiene could reduce the risk of illness with major impact of prevention of cross-contamination (91% reduction of illness). Only a minor contribution of undercooking (~0.01%) was estimated out of the scenario analysis.

ISBN:9789755614236

Jaar van publicatie:2012