Study design
Six typical industrial broiler flocks, three in spring 2012 and
three in autumn 2012, from different farms and diverse geographic
locations were selected for this longitudinal study. One week before
slaughtering the flocks were examined for their C. jejuni status. The
birds of the same flocks were then slaughtered at the same processing
plant at 41 days of age and analysed as corresponding
slaughter batches (spring: B1eB3, autumn: B4eB6) at the slaughterhouse
level: ten evenly distributed carcasses per batch were
selected to be followed, carefully marked and analysed for C. jejuni
presence, quantity and genetic characterisation during successive
stages of slaughtering and carcass processing. To assess the possibility
of cross-contamination, the slaughterhouse environment and
processing equipment were checked for Campylobacter contamination
before and after slaughtering