In EC Regulation 2073/2005 as amended (microbiological criteria for food), only S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium are mentioned by name for fresh poultry meat in Annex 1, Chapter 1, line 1.28 (Regulation (EU) No. 1086/2011). Other Salmonella serovars are also zoonotic agents, and cause disease outbreaks in EU Member States - including Austria. Due to a disease outbreak caused by S. Stanley in connection with kebabs, targeted investigations took place in Austria: 15 turkey kebab kebabs were tested for Salmonella in autumn 2015. S. Enteritidis or S. Typhimurium could not be detected in any sample, but 4 samples contained Salmonella serovars in at least one subsample. This corresponds to 26.7% (95% confidence interval [11%-52%]). Within the EU, cases of illness were reported for these detected Salmonella serovars (S. Derby, S. Saintpaul, and S. Infantis). The AGES Task Force on Foodborne Infectious Diseases identified Salmonella serovars, such as Salmonella Stanley and/or Salmonella Infantis, which are not consistently (i.e., "from farm to fork") addressed in legislation, as an issue requiring increased attention and education.

The results show that the number of subsamples required by Regulation EU 2073 must be strictly adhered to, as in no single sample were all five subsamples Salmonella positive. Although S. Stanley was not detectable in this small number of samples, the contamination rate of frozen kebab skewers with Salmonella is high. A recommendation for the production, storage and preparation of kebab and similar meat preparations has been posted online by the BMGF, although Salmonella - neither S. Enteritidis, nor others - is not mentioned in the document.

M. Matt*, M. Mann