This study aimed to analyze the incidence of Campylobacter in a small-scale chicken meat processing plant producing "chicken-sashimi", and determine the effectiveness of surface burning as a treatment during processing. The most probable number (MPN) method was used to analyze the load of Campylobacter in 48 samples from four different processing steps (de-feathering, chilling, surface burning, and final-products; 12 samples each). We found the highest load of isolated bacteria in chicken skin after de-feathering. Campylobacter was not detected after the surface burning step despite a large load of bacteria present in the cecum content. Campylobacter was absent in the final products. Adequate surface burning can avoid Campylobacter contamination of chicken sashimi in the processing plant by applying the external stripping method.
Keywords: Campylobacter; chicken sashimi; poultry processing; surface burning.