However, the latest report by EFSA(European Food Safety Authority) and ECDC(European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) on zoonoses in Europe-in an overall reassuring scenario-confirms the prevalence of foodborne Campylobacter toxins. (1) Beware of undercooked poultry and pork, as well as raw milk. ABC to follow.
Campylobacter, pathogenic bacteria and foods at risk
The genus Campylobacter includes 26 bacterial species, some of which are responsible for food-borne zoonoses. The species most commonly isolated from human cases of infection are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, both of which are present with varying prevalence in the intestines of chickens, turkeys, and other backyard poultry (ducks, geese, quail). Pigs can also harbor C. jejuni and C. coli in the intestines, while cases of mammary infection with subsequent milk contamination can also occur for cattle.
Poultry meats are at greater risk of Campylobacter contamination due to their unique slaughtering methods and the presence of skin (which in turn promotes the persistence of the bacteria, often nesting in hair follicles). This element is worthy of attention since these meats, as noted, are a primary source of protein in the diet of Europeans, as in the rest of the planet. In pork and beef, however, the prevalence of Campylobacter is modest. A separate discussion deserves milk, which if consumed raw can pose a (often underestimated) danger.
Cooking inactivates Campylobacter, provided it reaches and maintains 70°C for two minutes. Therefore, risks can be mitigated, including by consumers, by scrupulously applying the hygiene practices outlined in the
Human campylobacteriosis
Foodborne C. jejuni and C. coli toxins are mainly associated with consumption of raw or undercooked poultry meat, to a lesser extent also raw or undercooked pork, and raw milk:
– chicken meat is found to be more contaminated than turkey meat. With a high incidence in both cases, at the European level (37 percent in chicken, 28 percent in turkey),
– fresh pork recorded 5 percent positive samples,
– raw cow’s milk is found to be contaminated in 0.6 percent of cases.
Human campylobacteriosis manifests as gastroenteritis, varying in duration and severity depending on the age of those affected (more severe in children and the elderly). After an incubation period of 2-5 days, abdominal pain and diarrhea appear, sometimes accompanied by fever, nausea, and vomiting.
In infants and preschoolers, diarrhea can be hemorrhagic. In individuals with defected immune systems (pregnant women, elderly, immunocompromised), bacteremia may occur, with or without gastrointestinal symptoms. Rare post-infectious complications include Guillan-Barré syndrome and reactive arthritis.
Hygiene practices to be followed
Hygiene practices to be followed to prevent or otherwise limit cases of Campylobacter toxin infection are as follows:
– kitchen hygiene. Thoroughly clean work surfaces, hands and utensils before and after processing raw meat,
– Do not wash chicken and turkey meat before cooking to avoid polluting work surfaces,
– Avoid contact of other foods not intended for cooking (e.g., salad, cheese) with work areas, hands and utensils used for raw meat (poultry and other species), before cleaning and sanitizing (to prevent the risk of cross-contamination),
– Carefully cook poultry and pork meats. Keeping in mind the need to reach and maintain 70°C for two minutes. Special care should therefore be taken with some products (e.g., hamburgers) that may be undercooked in the innermost parts and with some cooking methods (e.g., barbecue),
– Do not feed raw or undercooked meat to vulnerable people. Such as children, the elderly, and anyone with an immune system weakened by concomitant diseases,
– Exclude the consumption of raw milk.
Silvia Bonardi and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Campylobacter is the most prevalent zoonosis in the EU as of 2005, with more than 246,000 confirmed cases in 2018. The incidence is particularly high in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Italy’s low number of reports (1,356 cases of human campylobacteriosis in 2018) could be attributable to divergences in the reporting system compared to other European countries, rather than an actual low prevalence of campylobacteriosis at the national level.
Among the most prevalent pathogenic bacteria in food in Europe-whose toxins can be mitigated with a little care, before and after purchase-also include:
–
salmonella
,
–
Shiga Toxin producing E. Coli
(STEC),
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Veterinary Medicine and Specialist in Inspection of Food of Animal Origin and in Veterinary Public Health, she is Professor of Inspection and Control of Food of Animal Origin at the University of Parma.
