Evolution of foodborne hazards: Campylobacter and Salmonella

Abstract

Campylobacter and Salmonella are, in most European countries, the two main causes identified as the source agents of food-borne illnesses. In order to control Salmonella in poultry and pig herds, The European Union has implemented the 2160/2003/EC regulation which aims to eradicate the top five human related most prevalent serotypes on poultry production and to improve the control of those bacteria in pig production. The establishment of a specific regulation in 1998 in France has led to the decrease of human salmonella by 33% with an annual reduction of 21% for SE and 18% for ST. Although the control system currently focused on Salmonella is based on firm epidemiologic data and offers effective means of control (e.g. slaughtering of positive breeder flocks and laying hens flocks), existing information on Campylobacter makes it more difficult to formulate an effective control plan. Most of the existing control plans against Campylobacter in the EU are based upon the implementation of biosecurity measures and failed to lower the prevalence of the bug in both poultry flocks and humans. New strategies will have to be developed in the next future in order to reduce the risk to human related to poultry consumption. Among those strategies, the use of bacteriophages, vaccination, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriocins, organic acids and competitive exclusion are still under development. © Lavoisier - La photocopie non autorisée est un délit.