Effectiveness of radiation processing in elimination of Campylobacter from poultry meat

Campylobacter, a common poultry intestine commensal, is a well known cause of human gastric illnesses across the globe. Consumption of contaminated poultry meat is a major cause of Campylobacter related infections. In the present study, radiation sensitivity of indigenous strains of C. jejuni and C. coli isolated from poultry was evaluated. The decimal reduction dose (D10) values of different Campylobacter isolates at 0–4 °C in saline and blood broth were in the range of 0.120–0.210 kGy and 0.170–0.234 kGy, respectively. D10 values in chicken meat homogenate for Campylobacter were in the range of 0.110–0.190 kGy. Chicken meat samples were inoculated with C. jejuni and exposed to gamma radiation to study the effectiveness of radiation treatment in elimination of Campylobacter. Radiation treatment with a dose of 1 kGy could achieve complete elimination of 105 CFU of Campylobacter/g in poultry meat samples. No recovery of Campylobacter was observed, even after enrichment and selective plating in 1 kGy treated chicken meat samples stored at 4 °C up to 7 days. Present study shows that irradiation of poultry meat with 1 kGy can ensure safety of poultry meat.

► Campylobacter isolates were sensitive to gamma radiation.
► Low dose of 1 kGy is effective for 5-log reduction of Campylobacter in chicken meat.
► No recovery of Campylobacter in radiation processed samples during storage.
► First report on radiation sensitivity of Indian Campylobacter isolates.