Campylobacter

Campylobacter and food safety
Campylobacter is a bacterium that can cause stomach and intestinal infections and leads to campylobacteriosis. It is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea within the European Union. Reducing campylobacter in poultry meat has therefore been an important priority within the Dutch poultry sector for many years.

Effective reduction through a joint approach
In 2009, the Dutch poultry sector and the government jointly launched a reduction plan to reduce the presence of campylobacter in poultry meat. This approach, with measures at poultry farms as well as in slaughterhouses and processing plants, led to a sharp decline in the percentage of infections: from 9.8% in 2009 to 3.9% in 2016.

New monitoring methodology
The monitoring methodology was modified in 2017. Since then, neck skin samples have been taken instead of breast skin samples. This change initially resulted in a slight increase in the percentage of positive samples measured. In the following years, however, a clear downward trend became apparent once again. In the period from 2018 to 2024, the proportion of positive neck skin samples fell from 11.8% to 6.5%.

Stable low level
In recent years, there appears to be stabilisation at this lower level. This confirms our belief that the reduction plan is effective and that it is possible to keep campylobacter structurally low through joint efforts.

Role of the sector and consumers
The sector continues to closely monitor the presence of campylobacter and adjusts processes where necessary to ensure food safety. Consumers also play an important role. Good kitchen hygiene, such as preparing raw chicken separately and thoroughly washing hands and kitchen utensils, helps to prevent contamination.