Campylobacter Status quo on European level

Uppsala, EURL-Campylobacter

Workshop 02.10.2012

Klaus Kostenzer, END

European Commission, DG SANCO, G4

Overview

• EU structures in food safety

• Baselinestudy

• EFSA opinions

• Status quo

EU structures

EFSA

DG

SANCO

Parliament

Council

FVO

Commission

ECDC

Member States

EFSA/ECDC Zoonoses report 2010

Campylobacter trend

EU – baselinestudy in 2008

• based on Reg. (EC) No 2007/516

• broilers flocks and carcases

• objectives:

• 'baseline' prevalence in all MSs in broiler flocks (caeca content) and on carcases (neck-/breastskin)

• Quantified information about carcase contamination

• extent: 10.132 flocks in 561 slaughterhouses in 26 EU MSs (plus NO&CH)

Risk factors

Positive flock results 30x more probable in a positive carcase

Positive flock results in higher contamination of carcase

Contamination risk differs within MSs and slaughterhouses

Risk assessments of EFSA

• Background:

• EFSA: Scientific opinion on Campylobacter in animals

and food; 2005

• EU-baselinestudy; 2008

• EFSA: Scientific Opinion on Quantification of the risk posed by broiler meat to human campylobacteriosis in the EU; 2010

• Report: A quantitative microbiological risk assessment of Campylobacter in the broiler meat chain; 2011

Legal base for possible targets or criteria given in Reg. (EC) No 2160/2003 and hygiene package (incl. Reg. (EC) No 2073/2005)

Mandate to EFSA:

1. Contribution of broiler-meat to human campylobakteriosis

2. Identification and ranking of possible control options 3. Proposals for potential performance objectives and/or

targets at different stages of the food chain in order to obtain e.g. 50 and 90% reduction of human disease

• Focus was set on primary production, transport, slaughter.

Retail and consumers were excluded.

• Scientific Opinion on Campylobacter in broiler meat production: control options and performance objectives and/or targets at different stages of the food chain (EFSA Journal 2011;9(4):2105)

Selected interventions

• Biosecurity

• Fly screens

• Discontinued thinning

• Reduction of slaughter age

• Reducing colonization

• Decontamination

• Scheduled slaughter

Estimated effect of interventions

• „CAMO“-model developed

• Data sources: EU-wide baseline survey and CSR of 2008

Peer-reviewed literature

Expert opinion

• Intervention analysis run for four countries

• Output: relative reduction of human cases attributable to broiler meat

Performance indicators

• Targets

• Specific model (CamPrev):

expected risk reduction if BFP reached a target of 50, 25, 10, 5, 1%, or 0%

• Microbiological criteria

• Specific model (CAMC)

• EU baseline survey data

• The percentage of batches not complying with the criterion (BNMC) is calculated to evaluate the public health impact of a MC

Limitations

• Local (slaughter-house) situation and practices not taken into account

• Unclear correlation between faecal or caecal samples, skin samples and meat products

• Diagnostic sensitivities of both tests varied significantly between Member States

• Campylobacter strains and variants were assumed to have identical properties

• Many data gaps

• e.g. slaughterhouse variability, effect of interventions, consumer behaviour, dose response, effects of immunity

General conclusions

• Approximately 9 million cases per year in the EU

• Estimated disease burden is 0.35 million DALYs per year and total annual costs are 2.4 billion €

• Handling, preparation and consumption of broiler meat may account for 20 - 30% of human cases, while 50 - 80% may be attributed to the chicken reservoir as a whole.

• The public health benefits of controlling Campylobacter in primary broiler production are expected to be greater than control later in the chain

Interventions (1) primary production

Results of QMRA based on data from four countries:

• Linear relationship between prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler flocks and public health risk

• Biosecurity measures are essential to prevent flock colonization

• The rigorous and continuous application of strict biosecurity measures that is necessary to prevent Campylobacter from entering the broiler house is mostly not achieved in the EU

• Colonization with Campylobacter of flocks with outdoor access is very likely to occur

Interventions (2) primary production

50-90% risk reduction by an equivalent reduction of flock prevalence through e.g. fly screens (based on 1 MS)

Up to 50% risk reduction by modifications of primary production:

• restriction of slaughter age to a max 28 days (only indoor flocks)

• discontinued thinning.

Interventions (3) slaughter

• 100% risk reduction by reduction of carcass concentration by > 6 log10 units

• Which can be achieved by irradiation/cooking

• More than 90% risk reduction by reduction of carcass concentrations by > 2 log10 units,

• which can be achieved by freezing for 2-3 weeks or reduction of the concentration in intestines at slaughter by > 3 log units;

• 50-90% risk reduction by reduction of carcass concentrations by 1-2 log10 units,

• which can be achieved by freezing for 2-3 days, hot water or chemical carcass decontamination with lactic acid, acidified sodium chlorite or trisodium phosphate

Targets (1) Flocks

25% resp. 5% flock prevalence

= 50% resp. 90% risk reduction

The realistic time period needed to obtain reductions will differ between countries.

It is not realistic to consider targets for

flocks with outdoor access.

Targets (2) Microcriteria

< 1000 resp. < 500 cfu/g skin

=

>50% resp. >90% risk reduction

• EU-wide 15-45% of all slaughter batches not conform (refers to data from baselinestudy)

Food category

Micro-organisms

n c m M Analytical reference method

Stage where the criterion applies

Action in case of unsatisfactory results

Poultry

carcases

of

broilers

Campy

lobacter

ISO/TS

10272-2 (for

enumeration)

Carcases

after

chilling

Improvements in

slaughter hygiene

and review of process

controls, origin of

animals and

biosecurity measures

in the farms of origin

Example PHC

Status quo

• cost-benefit-analysis to be discussed

• EC-Proposal on PHC postponed

• Revision of meat inspection in poultry • EFSA opinion published

• Scientific framework program of DG Research

• Discussion with MSs

Weblinks

• EC http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/index_en.htm

• FVO http://ec.europa.eu/food/fvo/index_en.cfm

• EFSA http://www.efsa.europa.eu/

• RASFF http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/rapidalert/index_en.htm

• ECDC http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/Pages/home.aspx

• EURL Campylobacter • http://www.sva.se/en/About-SVA/EURL---campylobacter/

DG Health & Consumers

Europe working for healthier, safer, more confident citizens

Food safety Public Health Consumer Affairs

Thank you very much for your attention!