Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Interventions on Reducing Campylobacter jejuni Contaminations on Processed Chicken

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States, responsible for an estimated 1.5 million cases annually. Poultry, particularly chicken, is a primary vector. Most efforts to reduce the risk of Campylobacter in poultry have been evaluated individually. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach can compare and rank multiple food safety interventions, using weighted criteria, and help select interventions that could reduce campylobacteriosis illnesses attributable to chicken. This study applied a structured Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework to evaluate five pre- and post-harvest interventions to reduce the level of C. jejuni contamination on raw, processed chicken: vaccination, scheduled/logistic processing, pre-chill peracetic acid (PAA), post-chill cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and increased freezing. Interventions were assessed across four main criteria—public health impact, societal acceptance, economic impacts, and implementation feasibility—comprising seven sub-criteria. Standardization of raw data, stakeholder weightings, and PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations) ranking analysis were incorporated to prioritize interventions under various decision scenarios. Results indicated that PAA consistently ranked first in all weighting scenarios due to its strong balance across all criteria. CPC also performed well, especially in feasibility and robustness. Vaccination, while scoring highest in public health benefits, was limited by poor feasibility and consumer acceptability. However, this assessment may reflect the current developmental stage of Campylobacter vaccines rather than their long-term potential. Unlike other interventions that are already commercially available or widely implemented, vaccination strategies remain under investigation, with promising advances in both live-attenuated and subunit vaccine candidates. Scheduled processing and freezing had context-specific benefits but lacked broad effectiveness. This study demonstrates the utility of MCDA as a transparent, stakeholder-driven tool in food safety decision-making and provides evidence-based guidance for prioritizing Campylobacter interventions in the chicken industry. Additional food safety interventions can be evaluated with other relevant criteria. And, the importance or weight of these criteria can be adjusted based on the priorities of additional decision makers and stakeholders.