Purpose: The aim of the study was to collect qualitative and quantitative data by simulation in a domestic setting of cross-contamination of Campylobacter spp. from raw chicken meat to utensils used during food preparation.
Methods: Tests were performed on naturally contaminated skin-on raw chicken carcasses. Three different cross-contamination scenarios were simulated. Scenario 1 mimics the condition in which hands, knife and cutting board used to cut the chicken first and the plate used to place a chicken wing before cooking were not washed after use, and were used as such to cut a tomato. Moreover in Scenario 1, chicken’s washing with rinsing water was added as an additional step before handling. Scenarios 2 and 3 mimic the intermediate and best case conditions, respectively, in which hands and the above-mentioned utensils were rinsed or washed (20 seconds at 40°C) with water and soap after use.
Results: Scenario 1 showed that the surfaces that were most contaminated were the cutting board (9/12 samples) and hands (9/12), followed by plate (8/12) and knife (7/12). Campylobacter was detected and quantified, respectively, in 6 and 4 out of 12 tomato samples which were cut on the contaminated surfaces. Chicken’s washing before manipulation didn’t reduce the quantity of Campylobacter spp. on the skin. Rinsing and washing of contaminated hands and kitchen utensils before handling other foods (e.g., tomato) eliminated in most samples the microorganism. However, due to the low contamination level (10-100 CFU/g) of the chicken, it was not possible to state which, among these two hygienic practices, was more effective.
Significance: The study confirms the importance of cross-contamination in the epidemiology of foodborne Campylobacter cases and of consumer education as a preventive measure.