Incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolated from retail chicken andassociated packaging in South Wales

Aims: To investigate the incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella contamin ation associated with supermarket and butchers' shop chicken and related pa ckaging. Method and Results: Three hundred raw samples (whole chicken, chicken breas t with skin or chicken pieces) were purchased on a monthly basis for seven months. Packaging associated with the chicken was also sampled to provide i solation data for external and whole packaging. Campylobacter and Salmonell a were isolated from 68% and 29% of retail chicken, respectively. Campyloba cter was isolated from 3% of external and 34% of whole packaging overall. S almonella was absent from external packaging but was isolated from 11% of w hole packaging. No significant trends in isolation rates of the organisms w ere obtained during the period of sampling. Conclusions: The food industry and consumers should be made aware of the po tential risk of Campylobacter and Salmonella on both the external and inter nal surfaces of packaging in addition to chicken itself. Significance and Impact of the Study: Chicken and chicken packaging is a po tential vehicle for the introduction of pathogens in retail and domestic ki tchens and in particular for the cross-contamination of Campylobacter and S almonella.