Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon
Meat is an important source of high biological value proteins as well as many vitamins and minerals. In Lebanon, beef meats, including raw minced beef, are among the most consumed of the meat products. However, minced beef meat can also be an important source of foodborne illnesses. This is of a maj...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/11/1543 |
| _version_ | 1827703577973358592 |
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| author | Issmat I. Kassem Nivin A Nasser Joanna Salibi |
| author_facet | Issmat I. Kassem Nivin A Nasser Joanna Salibi |
| author_sort | Issmat I. Kassem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Meat is an important source of high biological value proteins as well as many vitamins and minerals. In Lebanon, beef meats, including raw minced beef, are among the most consumed of the meat products. However, minced beef meat can also be an important source of foodborne illnesses. This is of a major concern, because food safety in Lebanon suffers from well-documented challenges. Consequently, the prevalence and loads of fecal coliforms and <i>Escherichia coli</i> were quantified to assess the microbiological acceptability of minced beef meat in Lebanon. Additionally, antibiotic resistance phenotypes of the <i>E. coli</i> were determined in response to concerns about the emergence of resistance in food matrices in Lebanon. A total of 50 meat samples and 120 <i>E. coli</i> isolates were analyzed. Results showed that 98% and 76% of meat samples harbored fecal coliforms and <i>E. coli</i> above the microbial acceptance level, respectively. All <i>E. coli</i> were resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 35% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The results suggest that Lebanon needs to (1) update food safety systems to track and reduce the levels of potential contamination in important foods and (2) implement programs to control the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance in food systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:20:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5590b40bb6c4747b1071f8dd8984d0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:20:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5590b40bb6c4747b1071f8dd8984d0c2023-11-20T18:31:22ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582020-10-01911154310.3390/foods9111543Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in LebanonIssmat I. Kassem0Nivin A Nasser1Joanna Salibi2Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia (UGA), Athens, GA 30223-1797, USACenter for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia (UGA), Athens, GA 30223-1797, USADepartment of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, LebanonMeat is an important source of high biological value proteins as well as many vitamins and minerals. In Lebanon, beef meats, including raw minced beef, are among the most consumed of the meat products. However, minced beef meat can also be an important source of foodborne illnesses. This is of a major concern, because food safety in Lebanon suffers from well-documented challenges. Consequently, the prevalence and loads of fecal coliforms and <i>Escherichia coli</i> were quantified to assess the microbiological acceptability of minced beef meat in Lebanon. Additionally, antibiotic resistance phenotypes of the <i>E. coli</i> were determined in response to concerns about the emergence of resistance in food matrices in Lebanon. A total of 50 meat samples and 120 <i>E. coli</i> isolates were analyzed. Results showed that 98% and 76% of meat samples harbored fecal coliforms and <i>E. coli</i> above the microbial acceptance level, respectively. All <i>E. coli</i> were resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 35% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The results suggest that Lebanon needs to (1) update food safety systems to track and reduce the levels of potential contamination in important foods and (2) implement programs to control the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance in food systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/11/1543minced beef meatantibiotic resistance<i>E. coli</i>fecal coliformsfood safetyfood contamination |
| spellingShingle | Issmat I. Kassem Nivin A Nasser Joanna Salibi Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon Foods minced beef meat antibiotic resistance <i>E. coli</i> fecal coliforms food safety food contamination |
| title | Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon |
| title_full | Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon |
| title_short | Prevalence and Loads of Fecal Pollution Indicators and the Antibiotic Resistance Phenotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Raw Minced Beef in Lebanon |
| title_sort | prevalence and loads of fecal pollution indicators and the antibiotic resistance phenotypes of i escherichia coli i in raw minced beef in lebanon |
| topic | minced beef meat antibiotic resistance <i>E. coli</i> fecal coliforms food safety food contamination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/11/1543 |
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