France release food safety findings on retail poultry contamination rates
FRANCE – A French surveillance operation sanctioned by the authorities has reported on contamination levels in fresh poultry meat available at retail.
Salmonella and Campylobacter are the primary bacterial agents linked to foodborne infections in France, while Clostridioides difficile is often identified in patients with digestive disorders.
Poultry remains a known carrier of these pathogens.
The Directorate General for Food (DGAL) conducted an official monitoring program in 2022 to update contamination data in poultry products.
The study examined both skin-on cuts, such as thighs, and skinless products like cutlets, while also collecting data on Clostridioides difficile.
Out of 2,435 samples tested, 0.9 percent contained Salmonella.
Campylobacter was found in 49.2 percent of 2,425 units. Clostridioides difficile was detected in 0.9 percent of 465 samples.
Contamination rates were higher in poultry products with skin.
A seasonal pattern was noted in Campylobacter findings, with fewer positive samples in winter compared to the rest of the year.
Campylobacter and Salmonella Contamination Levels
Campylobacter counts showed that 28 percent of cutlets and 31 percent of thighs contained contamination levels below 10 colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g).
However, 2.4 percent of thighs and 0.2 percent of cutlets exceeded 1,000 CFU/g, the hygiene threshold for slaughterhouses.
There is currently no regulatory limit in the European Union for Campylobacter or Clostridioides difficile in fresh poultry meat at retail.
However, rules exist for Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis in these products.
European regulations require hygiene testing for Campylobacter using neck skin samples from broiler chicken carcasses.
Starting in January 2025, no more than 10 out of 50 samples will be allowed to surpass 1,000 CFU/g.
The latest findings indicate a reduction in Campylobacter contamination compared to a similar surveillance study conducted in 2009.
Scientists suggest this may be linked to European regulations mandating Campylobacter testing in slaughterhouses.
From 2,425 poultry samples analyzed, 1,192 tested positive for Campylobacter. Clostridioides difficile was found in only four of 465 samples.
Among the Campylobacter-positive samples, 344 cutlets and 370 thighs contained under 10 CFU/g.
A total of 187 thigh samples had more than 100 CFU/g, with three exceeding 10,000 CFU/g. For cutlets, 22 samples surpassed 100 CFU/g.
Salmonella Findings and Trends
Salmonella was detected in 23 out of 2,435 poultry samples, with seven different serotypes identified, including Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Agama, and Salmonella Derby.
Ten samples that tested positive for Salmonella also contained Campylobacter.
In previous surveys, the prevalence of Salmonella in broiler chicken products was recorded at 1.7 percent in 2009 and 1.2 percent in 2010.
The latest study found a rate of 0.9 percent, indicating a decline over time.
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