International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) European Symposium
24 to 26 April 2019, France
The ICMSF presented a session entitled “Campylobacter, Health Impact, Performance Objectives and Effectiveness of Sampling Plans” on 26 April at IAFP Europe 2019.
The session was sponsored by the IAFP Foundation.
The organisers were Jeffrey Farber, Leon Gorris, and Marcel Zwietering, with Leon also convening the session.
Presentations
Health Impact of Campylobacter: The Main Zoonotic Pathogen in Many Countries
Jeffrey Farber, University of Guelph, CRIFS, Department of Food Science
Establishing Performance Objectives throughout the Chicken Production Chain to Achieve Control of Campylobacter
Wayne Anderson, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Effectiveness of a (More and More Stringent) Sampling Plan for Campylobacter
Marcel Zwietering, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Session recordings are available to registered attendees (access by registration ID) and to non-attendees for a fee on the IAFP 2019 website.
Abstract
Campylobacter is the zoonotic bacterium with the largest public health impact in many countries. Since the organism does not grow in the food chain, main points of control are in primary production, during slaughter and in the food preparation area. Absolute control is not possible at these stages, therefore balanced and targeted control measures should be implemented along the chain. The Codex/ICMSF approach of setting a food safety objective and linking it to performance objectives, process criteria, and microbiological criteria along the chain is instrumental in reaching a public health objective in a structured and flexible manner. Until recently, microbial criteria in chicken meat were not used, but since 2018 a process hygiene criterion has become mandatory in the European Union (EU). Notably, this is a dynamic criterion of which the stringency will increase in the next 7 years (m = 1000 CFU/g, n = 50, c = 20 from 1.1.2018 and with c = 15 from 1.1.2020 and c = 10 from 1.1.2025). In this symposium the health impact of Campylobacter and its epidemiology will be described, potential control along the food chain by making use of performance criteria will be exemplified and the effectiveness of the current and future sampling plans in the EU will be discussed. The symposium is of relevance for governments, academia as well as for food industry.
Background information
More than more than 400 delegates participated in the IAFP European Symposium. Twenty-four symposia, three roundtables, and nine technical sessions, along with the Closing Plenary Session, comprised the three-day programme. One hundred thirty-six poster presentations were also given throughout the meeting.
For more information about the event, visit the Symposium website.