Exposure assessment model of Campylobacter concentration in United States broiler processing plants

Poultry processing establishments play a critical role in mitigating Campylobacter contamination; a leading bacterial pathogen linked to poultry associated gastrointestinal illnesses in the United States. Quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA), suggest that reducing Campylobacter loads during processing can significantly mitigate public health risks. However, existing QMRAs often exclude contamination levels from cut-up parts and comminuted poultry products in their exposure assessments. To address this gap, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to estimate Campylobacter concentrations on whole birds, cut-up parts, and comminuted products, with and without interventions. Initial contamination levels derived from literature averaged 4.81 log₁₀ CFU/mL. Log reductions (LR) across processing stages revealed significant decrease (P < 0.05) during scalding (LR: -2.86 log₁₀ CFU/mL) and chilling (LR: -1.48 log₁₀ CFU/mL). Baseline modeling of contamination levels showed concentrations of 1.38 log₁₀ CFU/mL in whole birds, 0.79 log₁₀ CFU/mL in cut-up parts, and 0.45 log₁₀ CFU/mL in comminuted products. These estimates aligned with data from U.S. commercial establishments, where post-processing whole birds and parts exhibited 0.72 CFU/mL and ≤ 1 log₁₀ CFU/mL, respectively. Chemical interventions improve Campylobacter reduction efficacy, particularly in cut-up parts and comminuted products. Single intervention strategies, such as post-chill immersion, achieved reductions up to 99.99%, while multi-hurdle approaches reduce pathogen levels to undetectable levels. These findings underscore the necessity of incorporating contamination data from poultry parts and comminuted products into QMRA frameworks to refine risk assessments and intervention strategies.