Latest Research Behind Campylobacter

“Overall, meat juices were detected on 61 percent of poultry package surfaces, 34 percent of shoppers’ hands, 41 percent of grocery bags, 60 percent of kitchen surfaces, and 51 percent of food item surfaces,” Dr. Chen reports. “When the meat juice was detected on the purchased poultry packages, the chance of meat juice being on the shopper’s hands, grocery bags, food items, and kitchen surfaces was significantly higher. Shoppers who had poultry wrapped separately during checkout had a significantly lower chance of meat juice on the food items. However, using plastic bags and wrapping poultry separately did not significantly reduce the likelihood of meat juice on kitchen surfaces at home due to consumers’ practices of repackaging before storage. Results suggested that the transfer of meat juice through direct contact with the poultry packages is a major concern during shopping and should be prevented.”

Dr. Godwin is quick to point out that, since consumer practices are the last defense against foodborne illness, her team is emphasizing recommended practices in their messaging to consumers.

“We stress that consumers can greatly reduce possible foodborne illness from Campylobacter (or Salmonella) by 1.) avoiding handling poultry packages with their bare hands, using the plastic bags available in the meat section instead, 2.) washing hands before and after handling poultry during cooking, 3.) cleaning and sanitizing kitchen surfaces, including the refrigerator, often, and 4.) using a food thermometer to be sure poultry is cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and egg dishes to 160 degrees Fahrenheit,” she elaborates.

Nanotechnology Tool

In August 2017, Dr. Chen completed a NIFA-funded project aimed at developing and validating a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor combining antibody-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for rapid detection of Campylobacter in raw poultry products. (SPR is an optical technique for detecting molecular interactions.)

“We used magnetic nanoparticles, which were functionalized using monoclonal antibodies specific to Campylobacter surface antigens, to separate Campylobacter from food matrixes,” he relates. “The magnetic nanoparticles used in the protocol functioned not only as probes to selectively bind and separate Campylobacter, but also as an amplification agent to enhance the SPR signal.

Dr. Chen says the sensor protocol was developed based on a sandwich format.

“Two monoclonal antibodies, which can be likened to two slices of bread, are part of the sandwich,” he explains. “There is one monoclonal antibody, specific to Campylobacter surface antigens, on the sensor surface. The second monoclonal antibody, also specific to Campylobacter surface antigens, has a magnetic nanoparticle attached. The sandwich filling is the Campylobacter, the antigens to be detected.”

The use of magnetic nanoparticles in the SPR protocol provided three orders of magnitude in the improvement of sensitivity toward Campylobacter compared to the regular SPR sensor with a direct detection format, Dr. Chen reports.

“The SPR sensor we developed has the potential to provide a simple, low-cost, and sensitive method for detection of Campylobacter in poultry products,” he predicts. “This is significant, since one key issue that affects many detection protocols is the nature of the interferences present in complex matrixes, which often results in loss of sensitivity and specificity. As a result, rapid and accurate detection of Campylobacter at low concentrations in raw poultry products is an ongoing critical challenge.”

A Global Problem

Not only does Campylobacter have bragging rights in the U.S. by being in first place on the CDC’s list of organisms responsible for foodborne illness in 2016, this pesky, globally-minded bug’s influence and Number 1 status is indeed global. The World Health Organization considers the Gram-negative organism to be the most common bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis in the world. In fact, Campylobacter jejuni infection is distinguished as one of the most widespread infectious diseases of the last century.