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In 2017, EFSA published a 'simplified' food safety management system (FSMS) for certain small retail establishments (butcher, grocer, baker, fish and ice cream shop) based on the application of prerequisite programme (PRP) criteria. The aim of this opinion was to develop similar FSMSs for other small retail enterprises including retail distribution centres, supermarkets, restaurants (including pubs and other catering activities) and food donation. The latter presents several novel food safety challenges because donated food may be nearing the end of its shelf-life and several actors are involved in the food donation chain, each reliant on each other to assure food safety. In this opinion, the simplified approach to food safety management is presented based on a fundamental understanding of processing stages and the activities contributing to increased occurrence of the hazards (biological, chemical (including allergens) or physical) that may occur. Control is achieved using PRP activities as previously described but with a modified 'temperature control' PRP and the addition of PRPs covering shelf-life control, handling returned foods, shelf-life evaluation for food donation, allocation of remaining shelf-life, and freezing food intended for donation. Examples of the simplified approach are presented for retail distribution centres, supermarkets, restaurants and food donation., (© 2018 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.)

In most European countries human campylobacteriosis is the most important bacterial zoonotic foodborne infection. Chicken meat is considered the main source of infection. Since most strategies assessed so far, in reducing Campylobacter colonization in chickens or in the reduction of human disease, have not been very effective, new knowledge regarding Campylobacter's interaction with the host is needed. In this study we analysed fecal and cecal samples of five chicken flocks of different Austrian farms for the occurrence of Cjejuni and C. coli, and analysed the intestinal microbiota by PCR-SSCP, cultural detection of lactic acid bacteria, Enterococci, Staphylococci, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, and total aerobic colony counts. Furthermore ten chicken samples of cecal content of a flock during colonization with Campylobacter spp. was analysed by high throughput sequencing. With all three methods used we could detect a change within the microbiota caused by Cjejuni. Enumeration of different bacteria was significantly lower in fecal samples positive for C. jejuni, pointing out that a higher water content and thus, a preliminary stage of diarrhea might appear during Campylobacter colonization. By PCR-SSCP analysis the microbiota composition differed between colonized and non-colonized chicken fecal samples. This could also be detected in community analysis by high throughput sequencing, but this difference was only a tendency and not statistically significant. It can be concluded that C. jejuni is interacting with the intestinal microflora in their respective hosts and hence, this has to be taken into account when providing new strategies to combat Campylobacter colonization and disease.

Controversy exists on veterinary drug application in food animal production and the relevance for human health of antimicrobial resistant commensals isolated from food. The aim of this study was to analyze antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from retail meat of various animal species (including wild roe deer) in Austria. Our results were analyzed taking into consideration the current practices of Austrian veterinarians with regard to their use of antibiotic drugs during pig, poultry, and beef production. Resistant isolates were found most often in pork (76%) followed by poultry (63%) and beef (40%). On wild deer carcasses purchased from Austrian hunters only one isolate was found to be resistant. The latter indicates that antimicrobial resistance is not yet an environmental problem in animals living in the wild. The common use of tetracyclines in veterinary medication in various animal species is clearly reflected in the incidence of antimicrobial resistant isolates in commensal E. coli. The intensive use of fluoroquinolones in poultry could explain the high numbers of nalidixic acid resistant isolates found on poultry meat. Our findings partly explain the impact of veterinary drug application on the resistance development of E. coli isolated from meat.