Health Risks and Consequences of Salmonella and Campylobacter Jejuni in Raw Poultry

Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni are major human pathogens and poultry and poultry products are frequent vehicles of these bacteria. Estimates place the annual incidence of human salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis between 1 and 4 million each. Hazards are associated with contamination, survival or growth during production, transportation, processing and preparation. Animals are contaminated from a variety of sources on farms and the contaminants are spread during processing. Scalding, defeathering, evisceration and giblet operations are major points of spread. Further spread can occur during handling in markets and kitchens. Insufficient thermal processing or cooking allows survival. Improper handling of cooked poultry frequently results in cross contamination from previously handled raw carcasses and parts. Improper refrigeration provides conditions for multiplication of salmonellae. Estimates of annual costs of poultry-associated cases of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis in the United States range from $64 million to $114.5 million and $362 million to $699 million, respectively. The need for a cost-effective solution to these poultry-borne human disease problems is apparent.