Lili Li1, Lei Ye2, Sen Zhang1, Hecheng Meng1
1College of Light Industry and Food Sciences, South China Univ. of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 Guangdong, PR, China
2China and Research Inst. of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan., Univ, 510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR, China
Tóm tắt
AbstractMicrobial contamination in food‐processing plants can play a fundamental role in food quality and safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate aerobic bacteria carrying tetracycline and sulfonamide resistance genes from a meat processing plant as possible sources of meat contamination. One hundred swab samples from surfaces of conveyor belts, meat slicers, meat knives, benches, plastic trays, gloves, and aprons were analyzed. A total of 168 isolates belonging to 10 genera were obtained, including Pseudomonas sp. (n = 35), Acinetobacter sp. (n = 30), Aeromonas sp. (n = 20), Myroides sp. (n = 15), Serratia sp. (n = 15), Staphylococcus sp. (n = 14), Enterobacter sp. (n = 11), Escherichia coli (n = 10), Lactococcus sp. (n = 10), and Klebsiella sp. (n = 8). Of the 168 isolates investigated, 60.7% showed resistance to tetracycline and 57.7% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The tetracycline resistance genes tetL, tetA, tetB, tetC, tetE, tetM, tetS, tetK, and tetX were found in the frequency of 7.7%, 6.0%, 4.8%, 4.8%, 3.6%, 3.6%, 3.6%, 1.2%, and 0.6%, respectively. Sulfonamide resistance genes sul1 and sul2 were observed in the frequency of 17.9% and 38.1%, respectively. The tetracycline resistance genes tetX was first found in Myroides sp. This investigation demonstrated that food contact surfaces in a meat processing plant may be sources of contamination of aerobic bacteria carrying tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotic resistance genes.
