Abstract
This study aimed to determine Salmonella spp. prevalence in meat products, meat preparations and minced meat. Over a period of three years, a total of 300 samples were taken (100 RTE meat products, 100 meat preparations and 100 minced meat) and examined for the presence of Salmonella spp. Sampling was carried out at the warehouses of the food manufacturers. Salmonella spp. were not detected in RTE meat products, while 7% of semi-finished meat products (fresh sausages, grill meat formed and unformed) contained Salmonella, as did 18% of minced meats (minced pork II category, minced beef II category, mixed minced meat). The 25 Salmonella isolates obtained were examined for antibiotic resistance by the disk diffusion test, according to the NCCLS and CLSI guidelines. Isolates showed resistance to ampicillin and nalidixic acid (80%), tetracycline (72%), cefotaxime/clavulanic acid (48%), but not to gentamicin (8%) or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (0%).
Highlights
Salmonella is an important cause of foodborne disease in humans throughout the world and is a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic losses
RTE foods pose a direct risk to consumers, and according to an European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) annual report[2], in 2015, 1.1% and 0.7% positive samples were found for RTE food from broilers and pig meat, respectively, whereas one positive sample and no positive samples were found for RTE food from turkey and cattle meat, respectively
The results obtained indicate that any Salmonella spp. presence in RTE meats could be more related to inappropriate conditions or use of RTE food in retail
Summary
Salmonella is an important cause of foodborne disease in humans throughout the world and is a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic losses. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2015, a total of 94,625 confirmed human salmonellosis cases were reported by 28 European Union (EU) member states, resulting in an EU notification rate of 21.2 cases per 100,000 population [2]. This was a 1.9% increase in the EU notification rate compared with 2014.
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