Campylobacter jejuni and salmonella in raw red meats: A Public Health Laboratory Service Survey

Thirty-one laboratories examined a total of 6169 meat samples, 1236 from abattoirs and 4933 from retail and other outlets. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 98 (1.6%). A higher isolation rate of 49/1236 (4.0%) was found among abattoir than among retail and other samples (49/4933-1.0%). Twenty-two of the laboratories looked for salmonella; although 94/4002 (2.3%) were positive, in only one sample of minced beef were campylobacter and salmonella found together. Isolation rates for salmonellae were 75/3576 (2.1%) from retail and 19/426 (4.5%) from abattoir samples.Analysis of the results revealed that (1) the contamination rate of raw red meat by C. jejuni is, in general, very low; (2) when contaminated, numbers of organisms are generally also very low; (3) enrichment procedures were of some value; 41/98 (42%) isolates were detected by enrichment only, but, on the other hand 8 (8%) were direct plate positive/enrichment negative; (4) practice at looking for the organism and increased seasonal temperatures over the survey period did not result in a noticeable increase in isolations; (5) there was no apparent correlation between campylobacter and salmonella isolations.