<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>A defined <italic>Campylobacter coli</italic> (<italic>C. coli</italic>) suspension was inoculated on sterile sampling materials (cotton bud, polyester bud, cellulose sponge) and pieces of lamb meat. Various combinations of diluents (phosphate buffer saline ± Tween®80) and sampling methods (direct homogenization, simulating the excision method for meat, and swabbing) were investigated for the recovery (detachment) of <italic>C. coli</italic> cells from the inoculated samples. The obtained <italic>C. coli</italic> bacteria, as quantified by real-time PCR with respect to the dilution factors and the initial inoculum, were used for the calculation of the recovery (%) per sampling material and method. Regarding artificially inoculated sampling materials, the lowest recovery was observed for cotton buds (2.8%) and the highest for cellulose sponge (28.9%), and the differences between the obtained results were statistically significant (P &lt; 0.05). As regards lamb meat, the lowest recovery was observed for swabbing with cotton buds (3.2%) and the highest for direct homogenization (10.7%). The results indicate an overall low rate of bacterial recovery from contaminated samples, with cellulose sponges and polyester buds being significantly superior to cotton buds, and direct homogenization of meat with diluent better than swabbing. The type of sampling materials and methods applied for the quantification of <italic>C. coli</italic> entails a key impact on determining the actual contamination of the examined samples.</p>
</abstract>

A defined Campylobacter coli (C. coli) suspension was inoculated on sterile sampling materials (cotton bud, polyester bud, cellulose sponge) and pieces of lamb meat. Various combinations of diluents (phosphate buffer saline ± Tween®80) and sampling methods (direct homogenization, simulating the excision method for meat, and swabbing) were investigated for the recovery (detachment) of C. coli cells from the inoculated samples. The obtained C. coli bacteria, as quantified by real-time PCR with respect to the dilution factors and the initial inoculum, were used for the calculation of the recovery (%) per sampling material and method. Regarding artificially inoculated sampling materials, the lowest recovery was observed for cotton buds (2.8%) and the highest for cellulose sponge (28.9%), and the differences between the obtained results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). As regards lamb meat, the lowest recovery was observed for swabbing with cotton buds (3.2%) and the highest for direct homogenization (10.7%). The results indicate an overall low rate of bacterial recovery from contaminated samples, with cellulose sponges and polyester buds being significantly superior to cotton buds, and direct homogenization of meat with diluent better than swabbing. The type of sampling materials and methods applied for the quantification of C. coli entails a key impact on determining the actual contamination of the examined samples.

Method-Related Impacts on <italic>Campylobacter coli</italic> Recovery From Sampling Materials And Meat

Laboratory of Hygiene of Foods of Animal Origin – Veterinary Public Health

Acta Veterinaria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Method-Related Impacts on  Recovery From Sampling Materials And Meat

A defined Campylobacter coli (C. coli) suspension was inoculated on sterile sampling materials (cotton bud, polyester bud, cellulose sponge) and pieces of lamb...

Method-Related Impacts on Campylobacter coli Recovery From Sampling Materials And Meat

Published Online: Jul 12, 2021

Page range: 198 - 210

Received: Mar 16, 2021

Accepted: Jun 09, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acve-2021-0017

Keywords
microbiological sampling, bacterial recovery, lamb meat

© 2021 Thomai Lazou et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Method-Related Impacts on Campylobacter coli Recovery From Sampling Materials And Meat

Published Online: Jul 12, 2021

Page range: 198 - 210

Received: Mar 16, 2021

Accepted: Jun 09, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acve-2021-0017

Keywordsmicrobiological sampling, bacterial recovery, lamb meat

© 2021 Thomai Lazou et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
microbiological sampling, bacterial recovery, lamb meat