CAMPYLOBACTER AND SALMONELLA CONTAMINATING FRESH CHICKEN MEAT

1853 packages of fresh chicken breast meat of German, Dutch and French origin were investigated for their contamination with Campylobacter a nd/or Salmonella. Swabs were taken and cultured from dripwater, meat s urface, meat interior and packet bowl. Campylobacter was isolated from 619 meat samples (= 33%), Salmonella from 377 meat packages (= 20%). In 111 of these contaminated chicken samples, both Salmonella and Camp ylobacter were present. The contamination rate and the species spectru m observed differed depending on the origin of the packages and the ti me of control.