Molecular Ecology of Relevant Pathogens in the Turkey Processing Industry

Project Director
Cliver, D. O.

Recipient Organization
UNIV OF CALIFORNIA (VET-MED)
(N/A)
DAVIS,CA 95616

Performing Department
POPULATION HEALTH AND REPRODUCTION

Non Technical Summary
L. Monocytogenes frequently contaminates poultry. This project will help to identify critical control points in processing facilities and contribute to an improvement in the nation's food supply.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

50%

Developmental

50%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
712	3260	1040	70%
712	3260	1170	30%

Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
3260 - Poultry meat;

Field Of Science
1170 - Epidemiology; 1040 - Molecular biology;

Keywords

listeria monocytogenes

disease control

food contamination

epidemiology

pathogen identification

Goals / Objectives
L. monocytogenes frequently contaminates poultry products with up to 40% of processed broilers and 10 to 25% of cut up raw turkey parts being positive at retail. The processing environment serves as a reservoir for the pathogen. Epidemiological and strain typing data suggest that the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the processing environment and in raw products has significant food safety relevance. Although poultry contamination by L. monocytogenes has been studied extensively with broilers, the turkey processing industry has been minimally addressed.

Project Methods
The microorganisms will be subtyped by DNAa-based fingerprinting and will be characterized in terms of genetic and physiologic attributes of relevance to their ability to colonize the processing plant and to cause human disease.

Progress 08/01/02 to 09/30/04

Outputs
This was an 18-month project, to run from 9/01/2002 through 2/29/2004. The lead institution was North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the funds came from the USDA. The intention was to determine the incidence and types of Listeria monocytogenes in turkey slaughter and processing facilities. We were to obtain our samples in California or very near here, as we were the only group participating west of the Mississippi River. Erly on, we took a lead in recommending sampling and testing protocols, to ensure that results from the various participating groups would be comparable. However, when the time came to collect in-plant samples, we were unable to obtain permission from plant operators to enter their establishments for that purpose. We approached large and small California turkey processors, as well as USDA (since they funded the study), to no avail. Even after an extension of the project period, we were unable to enter any establishment to obtain samples. Several thousand dollars in unexpended funds were returned to USDA via NCSU.

Impacts
The intention of this project is to enhance the safety of the US food supply.

Publications

No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
This is a collaboration with three other universities, with a group at North Carolina State University taking the lead. We have contributed significantly to the adaptation of laboratory protocols for detecting Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. in samples from turkey slaughter and processing facilities. Each working group is supposed to collect samples from turkey facilities in its area and test them. To date, no turkey facility has agreed to let us collect samples, so the project is not generating the desired results.

Impacts
Unless we are permitted to collect samples for testing, this project will accomplish very little.

Publications

No publications reported this period