Alternative strategies to use antibiotics or chemical products for controlling Campylobacter in the food chain

Campylobacteriosis is considered the most frequent zoonosis in humans, and the handling and/or consumption of poultry meat is considered the main source for human infection. The reduction of the rates of infection in chickens should make an effective contribution to substantially controlling the illness in humans. However, the increase of the general concern about the spreading of antibiotic resistance in humans has determined the elimination of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock. At this point, it is essential to search for new, natural and sustainable strategies to reduce the incidence of this bacterium in the food chain, especially in its main host. The objective of this review is to revise the different strategies, designed to reduce the presence or to eradicate Campylobacter from the human food chain. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.This work was founded through Projects AGL 2009-07894 from the CSIC, ALIBIRD-CM-P 2009/AGR-1469 (Comunidad de Madrid) and CSD2007-00063FUN-C-FOOD (CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010).Peer Reviewe