Prevalence of and in Retail Chicken, Beef, Lamb, and Pork Products in Three Australian States.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of species in a variety of fresh and frozen meat and offal products collected from retail outlets in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (Qld), and Victoria (Vic). A total of 1,490 chicken, beef, lamb, and pork samples were collected from Australian supermarkets and butcher shops over a 2-year sampling period (October 2016 to October 2018). spp. were detected in 90% of chicken meat and 73% of chicken offal products (giblet and liver), with significantly lower prevalence in lamb (38%), pork (31%), and beef (14%) offal (kidney and liver). Although retail chicken meat was frequently contaminated with the level of contamination was generally low. Where quantitative analysis was conducted, 98% of chicken meat samples, on average, had <10,000 CFU per carcass, with 10% <21 CFU per carcass. was the most frequently recovered species in chicken meat collected in NSW (53%) and Vic (56%) and in chicken offal collected in NSW (77%), Qld (59%), and Vic (58%). In beef, lamb, and pork offal, was generally the most common species (50 to 86%), with the exception of pork offal collected in NSW, where was more prevalent (69%). prevalence was significantly higher in fresh lamb (46%) and pork (31%) offal than in frozen offal (17 and 11%, respectively). For chicken, beef, and pork offal, the prevalence of spp. was significantly higher on delicatessen products compared with prepackaged products. This study demonstrated that meat and offal products are frequently contaminated with . However, the prevalence is markedly different in different meats, and the level of chicken meat portion contamination is generally low. By identifying the types of meat and offal products types that pose the greatest risk of infection to consumers, targeted control strategies can be developed.