Comprehensive Review of <i>Campylobacter</i> and Poultry Processing

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p> <jats:italic>Campylobacter</jats:italic> has been recognized as a leading bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the United States, with 40000 documented cases annually. Epidemiological data suggest that contaminated products of animal origin, especially poultry, contribute significantly to campylobacteriosis. Thus, reduction of contamination of raw poultry would have a large impact in reducing incidence of illness. Contamination occurs both on the farm and in poultry slaughter plants. Routine procedures on the farm such as feed withdrawal, poultry handling, and transportation practices have a documented effect on <jats:italic>Campylobacter</jats:italic> levels at the processing plant. At the plant, defeathering, evisceration, and carcass chillers have been documented to cross‐contaminate poultry carcasses. Carcass washings and the application of processing aids have been shown to reduce populations of <jats:italic>Campylobacter</jats:italic> in the carcasses by log <jats:sub>10</jats:sub> 0.5 log <jats:sub>10</jats:sub> 1.5; however, populations of <jats:italic>Campylobacter</jats:italic> have been shown to enter a poultry processing plant at levels between log <jats:sub>10</jats:sub> 5 colony‐forming units (CFU)/mL and log <jats:sub>10</jats:sub> 8 CFU/mL of carcass rinse. The purpose of this article is to review <jats:italic>Campylobacter</jats:italic> , the infection that it causes, its association with poultry, contamination sources during processing, and intervention methods. </jats:p>