| Summary: | This study investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in retail edible offal and muscle meats in Nashville, Tennessee. A total of 348 retail meats (160 edible offal and 188 muscle) were analyzed for <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar, <i>Campylobacter</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7, and enterococci. Bacteria was identified using biochemical and PCR methods. <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar (4.4% and 4.3%), <i>Campylobacter</i> (1.9% and 1.1%), <i>E. coli</i> (79.4% and 89.4%), and enterococci (88.1% and 95.7%) was detected in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Chicken liver (9.7%) was most frequently contaminated with <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar, followed by ground chicken (6.9%) and chicken wings (4.2%). No <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar was detected in beef liver, beef tripe, and ground beef. The prevalence of <i>Campylobacter</i> was 6.9%, 2.3%, and 1.4% in beef liver, ground beef, and ground chicken, respectively. None of the meats were positive for <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7. Resistance of isolates was significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) highest in erythromycin (98.3%; 99.1%), followed by tetracycline (94%; 98.3%), vancomycin (88.8%; 92.2%) as compared to chloramphenicol (43.1%; 53.9%), amoxicillin/clavulanic (43.5%; 45.7%), and ciprofloxacin (45.7%; 55.7%) in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Imipenem showed the lowest resistance (0%; 0.9%). A total of 41 multidrug-resistant patterns were displayed. Edible offal could be a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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