Campylobacter Diversity Along the Farm‐to‐Fork Continuum of Pastured Poultry Flocks in the Southeastern United States

ABSTRACT Introduction Consumer demand for pasture raised, antibiotic‐free poultry products has led to an increase in pastured poultry operations within the United States. Given the level of environmental interaction and the potential increase in exposure to foodborne pathogens in these settings, a greater understanding of the prevalence and diversity of Campylobacter populations inherent within pastured poultry flocks is needed. Methods To achieve this, 40 pastured poultry flocks from nine farms were sampled using a farm‐to‐fork strategy, and Campylobacter was isolated and characterised from preharvest (faeces, soil) through postharvest (caeca, whole carcass rinse) to the final product the consumer would purchase (whole carcass rinse). Results Campylobacter was isolated from 872 of 1820 samples, showing an overall prevalence of 47.91%. The caeca showed the highest (p