Campylobacter control strategies at postharvest level.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Campylobacter is a leading cause of foodborne illness globally, primarily linked to poultry consumption.
• Effective control measures are essential to mitigate human infections originating from poultry products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review postharvest control methods for Campylobacter in poultry meat.
• To discuss traditional and emerging strategies for reducing Campylobacter contamination.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on Campylobacter control strategies.
• Analysis of methods applied during poultry production, storage, and preparation.
• Inclusion of traditional (e.g., steaming, freezing, sanitizing) and novel (e.g., nanotechnology, natural antimicrobials) approaches.

Main Results:

• Various methods exist, including drying, temperature control, sanitizing agents, UV light, nanoparticles, and plant-derived antimicrobials.
• Complete prevention of Campylobacter contamination in raw poultry remains challenging.
• Significant strain-to-strain variation in susceptibility to control methods is observed.

Conclusions:

• Current postharvest methods are insufficient for complete Campylobacter control in poultry.
• Development of more effective strategies is necessary to substantially reduce human Campylobacter infections.
• Further research is needed to overcome strain variability and enhance control efficacy.