Integrated approach - farm to fork - on contamination of Campylobacter spp. development, validation and transfer of knowledge on effective strategies for the control and reduction of its prevalence.
Food safety is a growing consumer concern and an EU policy priority. In the context of zoonoses, Campylobacter spp. has justified an increasing interest, and in Europe, this bacterium is identified by EFSA (2015) as the most frequent pathogen causing gastrointestinal disease. The real situation of campylobacteriosis in Portugal is unknown. Birds are recognized as the main source of this pathogen. Thus, the primary objective of this initiative is to effectively control and reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter in chickens in order to benefit the health of the consumer. All operators involved in the production, processing and distribution of poultry meat and poultry products are responsible for the food safety of their products. As it is a fact that the control of this pathogen is difficult, all the agents of this productive area will benefit from the knowledge generated by this Plan of Action, namely the generated knowledge and the conclusions about the effectiveness of the interventions that will be tested, contributing in this way to enhance security and minimize the risks of transmission of this agent to the consumer. With the implementation of interventions along the production chain, previously validated as to their effectiveness, the operators involved will have gains related to the reinforcement of consumer and partner confidence in their products, minimizing the risks of product withdrawals not secure and the penalization of the image of the companies in this line.
Campylobacter, Chickens, Food Security.
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (coordenador); Escola Superior de Biotecnologia - Universidade Católica Portuguesa; Associação Nacionais dos Centros de Abate e Industrias Transformadoras de Carne de Aves - ANCAVE; Hiperfrango - Produção Avicola, Lda; Lusiaves - Industria e Comercio Agro-Alimentar SA.
| Financing Program | Execution Date | Global Budget |
|---|---|---|
| PDR2020 (PDR2020-101-031258) REGION: North | Start date: 01/01/2018 End date: 15/05/2022 | Total: € 456 340,29 FEADER: €342 255,2 |
| Website | https://www.campyfree.com/ |
| Download File | campyfree-en_.pdf |
