Naslov (eng)

Occurrence and species-level identification of thermophilic Campylobacter in retail poultry meat in Serbia

Autor

Milojević, Lazar
Velebit, Branko
Janković, Vesna V.
Mitrović, Radmila
Lakićević, Brankica
Mišić, Dunja
Betić, Nikola

Publisher

Opis (eng)

Species within the Campylobacter genus, notably Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, are among the primary bacterial agents responsible for foodborne illnesses worldwide. Poultry meat frequently serves as a key vector of transmission, owing to the high prevalence of these bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts of birds. The purpose of this study was to as- sess both the occurrence and levels of C. jejuni and C. coli in raw chicken meat available in Serbian retail markets. In 2023, a total of 118 fresh poultry samples were obtained from various retail outlets and analyzed in accordance with ISO standards for qualitative and quantitative microbiological evaluation. Results indicated a notably high contamination rate, with Campylobacter detected in 75% of the samples. Among these, 63 samples exhibited quantifiable bacterial loads ranging from 20 to 7,600 CFU/g. Molecular testing further con- firmed the presence of thermotolerant Campylobacter species in 98% of the positive sam- ples. Specifically, C. jejuni was detected in 75%, and C. coli in 85% of cases, with over half of the positive samples containing both species. The highest bacterial concentrations were found in drumstick and thigh meat cuts. These results emphasize the considerable public health concern associated with Campylobacter contamination in poultry meat sold in Serbia, and they reinforce the necessity of stricter hygiene practices and comprehensive monitoring across the poultry production and distribution chain.

Jezik

engleski

Datum

2025-12-01

Licenca

Ovo delo je licencirano pod uslovima licence
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 - Creative Commons Autorstvo 4.0 International License.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Predmet

Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni Campylobacter coli Poultry meat Retail contamination

Deo kolekcije (1)

o:32

Institut za higijenu i tehnologiju mesa