Request for Quote: Managing Salmonella Enteritidis in the Australian Chicken Meat Industry

⁠⁠⁠AgriFutures Australia is an organisation that proudly focuses on the future of Australian agriculture. AgriFutures main function and purpose is investment, dissemination and commercialisation of research and development for the benefit of our primary industries.

Background

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is an important foodborne pathogen globally. Australian endemic strains of SE have been rarely detected in meat chicken flocks in Queensland. These strains are genetically distinct from those detected in egg laying flocks in NSW and Victoria from 2018 onwards. Unlike the recent outbreak strains that have been linked to human foodborne illness, the ability for Australian endemic SE strains to colonise poultry and cause human foodborne illness is not well understood.

The aim of this project is to investigate the microbiological characteristics of Australian endemic strains of SE, propensity to colonise poultry and the likely implications from a human food safety perspective. Australian strains may be compared to the NSW/Vic outbreak strains of SE but it is important that the focus of the project is on the Australian endemic strains and implication of these strains for the chicken meat industry. The risk of meat chicken breeder flocks being infected with the endemic strains should also be considered and likelihood of transmission to broiler progeny. The project should help to inform SE management plans for the chicken meat industry.