Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of using E. coli counts as an indicator of changes in the numbers of Campylobacter through the poultry processing chain.
Methods: Whole chickens (n=10) were collected from each of five sites along the processing chain from 4 different broiler flocks at 2 abattoirs. Collection sites included: immediately before scald but after bleed-out; immediately after scald but before defeathering; after evisceration immediately before immersion chilling; after immersion chilling; and after packaging. Individual ceca (n=10) were also collected from each flock at the point of evisceration, for a total of 60 samples per flock. Whole chickens were sampled using the whole bird rinse technique following Australian Standard AS5013.20. Rinsates were enumerated for Campylobacter on modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar containing antibiotics and for E. coli using E. coli/Coliform Petrifilm™. Correlation between Campylobacter and E. coli counts was assessed using Spearman’s rank order coefficient.
Results: A strong association was noted between E. coli and Campylobacter counts when all sampling sites within each flock were examined, with r2 values of 0.88, 0.89, 0.75 and 0.90 for Flocks 1 to 4, respectively. All flocks had a significant decrease in numbers of both Campylobacter and E. coli after scald and after immersion chilling.
Significance: These data suggest that the use of E. coli counts as an indicator of Campylobacter counts may represent a more applicable and practical solution to monitoring process effects, based on the relative ease and standardization of E. coli enumeration.