Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness worldwide and a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United Kingdom. Campylobacteriosis is strongly associated with the consumption and handling of chicken meat, making it a major public health concern and a key focus of food safety controls.
In this article, our National Technical Lead for Food Safety and Animal Welfare, Ester Benguerel, discusses how Official Veterinarians control Campylobacter within broiler meat production.
Campylobacter is a genus of bacteria that includes several species, the most common being Campylobacter Jejuni and Campylobacter Coli. These species are commonly associated with food poisoning and infect the intestinal tract of humans and animals.
Why is Campylobacter Commonly Found in Broiler Chickens?
Broiler chickens are natural carriers of Campylobacter. The bacteria colonise the birds’ intestines without causing illness or clinical symptoms, meaning infected birds appear healthy. Once introduced into a flock, Campylobacter can spread rapidly through direct contact, shared water or equipment.
During slaughter and processing, particularly at the evisceration stage, intestinal contents may contaminate carcasses if control measures are not effective. Even where good hygiene practices are in place, low-level contamination can still occur.
It is therefore almost impossible to guarantee that all raw chicken meat is completely free from Campylobacter.
For this reason, the EU does not classify Campylobacter under a food safety criterion, which would require zero presence in the final product. Instead, it is included as a process hygiene criterion, meaning it is used to monitor and improve hygiene controls during slaughter and processing.
The objective of this approach is to reduce contamination levels on carcasses and to ensure that production practices are operating under effective control. Good hygiene practices and procedures, effective evisceration controls and robust process monitoring together with regular microbiological sampling under process hygiene criteria are essential to measure and verify how well contamination is controlled throughout the food production and handling process.
The link between Campylobacter and chicken meat is not only related to contamination during production but also to consumer handling and preparation. Campylobacter does not multiply well outside the host; however, it can survive on raw poultry meat under refrigeration. As chicken is usually sold raw, the bacteria may remain present until cooking.
Final food safety therefore depends on thorough cooking and proper handling by the consumer. Raw chicken juices can contaminate hands, utensils, chopping boards, and ready-to-eat foods, and washing raw chicken can spread bacteria through splashing. However, Campylobacter is easily destroyed by thorough cooking, which kills the bacteria and prevents illness.
Campylobacteriosis places a significant burden on public health systems. In the UK, it accounts for hundreds of thousands of cases each year, with poultry identified as the primary source of infection. Reducing contamination in broiler meat is therefore a major public health priority.
The Role of Official Veterinarians
Official Veterinarians (OVs) play a key role in the control of Campylobacter within broiler meat production. Their oversight is essential to ensuring that food business operators apply effective hygiene measures throughout slaughter and processing, particularly at critical stages such as evisceration and carcass handling.
OVs pay close attention to compliance with process hygiene criteria, the implementation of effective monitoring and verification systems and the timely investigation of unsatisfactory microbiological results. Where elevated Campylobacter levels are identified, OVs are responsible for ensuring that appropriate corrective actions are implemented and reviewed for effectiveness.
In addition, Official Veterinarians have an important role in promoting consistency, reinforcing good hygiene practices and ensuring that food safety management systems remain robust and proportionate to risk. Through vigilant inspection, effective enforcement and clear communication with food business operators, OVs contribute directly to reducing Campylobacter contamination and protecting public health.
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