Aims: To investigate the incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella contamination associated with supermarket and butchers' shop chicken and related packaging.
Method and results: Three hundred raw samples (whole chicken, chicken breast with skin or chicken pieces) were purchased on a monthly basis for seven months. Packaging associated with the chicken was also sampled to provide isolation data for external and whole packaging. Campylobacter and Salmonella were isolated from 68% and 29% of retail chicken, respectively. Campylobacter was isolated from 3% of external and 34% of whole packaging overall. Salmonella was absent from external packaging but was isolated from 11% of whole packaging. No significant trends in isolation rates of the organisms were obtained during the period of sampling.
Conclusions: The food industry and consumers should be made aware of the potential risk of Campylobacter and Salmonella on both the external and internal surfaces of packaging in addition to chicken itself.
Significance and impact of the study: Chicken and chicken packaging is a potential vehicle for the introduction of pathogens in retail and domestic kitchens and in particular for the cross-contamination of Campylobacter and Salmonella.