Campylobacteriosis Associated with Mass Catering: A Survey on the European Union Cases

The genus Campylobacter comprises Gram-negative spiral-shaped bacteria, which can cause a foodborne illness in humans called campylobacteriosis; the infection generally occurs through the consumption of undercooked chicken or ready-to-eat meals that have been in contact with contamined raw chicken. The occurrence of pathogens in foods may be caused by cross-contamination, mainly due to insufficient hygiene of the staff and the environment, and/or by improper conditions enabling survival and growth of microorganisms, like inadequate cooking or temperature abuse. In Europe, the general principles and requisites of food safety legislation have been established by Regulation (EC) 178/2002, followed by Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. One of the basic obligations foreseen by Regulation (EC) 852/2004 is that food businesses operators have to implement permanent procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles in order to ensure the safety of products. In recent years, public catering has taken on an increasingly important role in the lives of working people, and food safety linked to the consumption of out-of-home meals has become a critical issue; in particular, the increase in the cases of campylobacteriosis highlights the need for continuous monitoring and control of the presence of Campylobacter spp. in the food chain. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) estimates that the cost of the episodes of campylobacteriosis for the health system, in terms of lost productivity in the European Union, is around € 2.4 billion a year. Recent microbiological studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Denmark showed that cases of Campylobacter infection (well recognised or not) depended largely upon an incorrect application of good manufacturing procedures, hygiene related to the handling of raw materials (mainly poulty meat) and cooking. This last procedure was recognised as one of the main critical points. To date, the Commission Decision (EC) 516/2007 regulates the tolerance to the presence of thermotolerant species of Campylobacter on slaughtered carcasses, but it does not specify tolerances for foods ready for consumption, as already provided for other pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Though current European legislation on zoonoses requires prompt notification of episodes of human infectious diseases to the National Health System, a lack of official data occurs in several European Countries because of the absence of harmonized procedures for monitoring and recording the cases of campylobacteriosis.