| Sumario: | Introduction: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate microbiological risk factors associated with <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Campylobacter</i> spp., and <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> along the chicken meat value chain in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Methods: Following multistage cluster sampling design a total of 941 samples from three nodes (retailers, restaurants, consumer households) were collected. The retailers’ samples (n = 519) included raw meat (n = 360), water (n = 83) and swabs (n = 76). The restaurants samples (n = 242) and consumer households (n = 180) were cooked chicken meat samples. Isolation followed ISO-based culture methods with PCR confirmation; presence of any target pathogen was combined into a binary “pathogen indicator.” A structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the practices of the retailers (n = 127), restaurant owners (n = 101) and chicken meat consumers (n = 180). Univariate analysis was performed between the factors and presence of pathogen indicator. The factors with p < 0.2 were used in multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictors of contamination at each node.
Results: At the retail level, significant risk factors included unclean costumes (OR = 2.130, 95% CI, 1.348–3.367) and selling chicken meat in open space (OR = 1.675, 95% CI, 1.063–2.640). Conversely, trimmed nails (OR = 0.247, 95% CI, 0.154–0.398) and using glass covers (OR = 0.636, 95% CI, 0.404–1.00) for retail outlets were protective factors. At the restaurant level, using raw vegetables as garnish (OR = 4.257, 95% CI, 1.181–15.345) had significantly higher odds of pathogen presence. Protective factors included using separate cutting boards or knives (OR = 0.153, 95% CI, 0.052–0.447) and keeping bulk-cooked products hot (OR = 0.322, 95% CI, 0.113–0.920). At the consumer level, washing hands only before handling (OR = 12.60, 95% CI, 3.124–50.82) was found to be a significant risk factor. Protective factors included using separate cutting boards/knives for raw meat and vegetables (OR = 0.067, 95% CI, 0.017–0.262) and adding raw vegetables during cooking instead of adding after cooking (OR = 0.175, 95% CI, 0.052–0.585).
Discussion: Findings indicate that retail-stage infrastructure and hygiene practices are primary drivers of contamination, and that pragmatic interventions are likely to reduce downstream foodborne risk.
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