Abstract
Consumption of food that is contaminated by microorganisms, chemicals, and toxins may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, which has negative socioeconomic and public health implications. Monitoring and surveillance of microbial diversity along the food value chain is a key component for hazard identification and evaluation of potential pathogen risks from farm to the consumer. The aim of this study was to determine the microbial diversity in meat and meat products from different enterprises and meat types in South Africa. Samples (n = 2017) were analyzed for Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella species, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium botulinum using culture-based methods. PCR was used for confirmation of selected pathogens. Of the 2017 samples analyzed, microbial ecology was assessed for selected subsamples where next generation sequencing had been conducted, followed by the application of computational methods to reconstruct individual genomes from the respective sample (metagenomics). With the exception of Clostridium botulinum, selective culture-dependent methods revealed that samples were contaminated with at least one of the tested foodborne pathogens. The data from metagenomics analysis revealed the presence of diverse bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The analyses provide evidence of diverse and highly variable microbial communities in products of animal origin, which is important for food safety, food labeling, biosecurity, and shelf life limiting spoilage by microorganisms.
Highlights
The analysis of bacterial pathogens obtained by the selective culture dependent approach showed isolation and detection of Y. enterocolitica, Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, Campylobacter species including C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari; S. aureus, C. perfringens, and B. cereus (Tables S2–S6)
The occurrence of L. monocytogenes in various meat products in South Africa is described by Matle et al [17]
Culture-based methods revealed that meat and meat products from different animal species were contaminated with at least one of the tested foodborne pathogens (Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella species, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus) except
Summary
Changes in food ecosystems and the rise of drug-resistant pathogens [1] has shifted food supply chains to interconnected systems with a variety of complex relationships and exposure to new risks and greater potential of food-borne illness outbreaks [2]. Of the common commodity categories, animal and plant infectious diseases are responsible for major global economic losses in the food and agricultural value chain industries and biodiversity [3]. Animal, and plant pathogens is essential in order to prevent and reduce the spread of diseases and facilitate effective management prac- 4.0/). In most low- and middle-income countries, the burden of food-borne diseases has implications on domestic market and international trade [4]. While Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Shiga producing toxin Escherichia coli, enteric species of Yersinia that include Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are listed in
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