Antimicrobial effect of garlic against foodborne pathogens in ground mutton.

The antimicrobial effect of fresh garlic (20, 30, and 50 g/kg) and the equivalent concentrations of garlic oil (80, 120, and 200 mg/kg) was investigated in ground mutton during storage at 4 °C. By day 6 and thereafter, mutton meatballs treated with 50 g/kg of fresh garlic and 200 mg/kg garlic oil exhibited a significant decline in psychrotrophic and Pseudomonas counts in comparison with control. Fresh garlic added at a concentration of 50 g/kg exhibited the highest antimicrobial effect, followed by garlic oil at 200 mg/kg, fresh garlic at 30 g/kg, and garlic oil at 120 mg/kg. By the 15th day of storage, the fresh garlic added at concentrations of 50 and 30 g/kg and garlic oil added at concentrations of 120, and 200 mg/kg inactivated the populations of foodborne pathogens artificially inoculated into ground mutton and exhibited significant (P < 0.01) lower counts in Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus by more than 3 logs CFU/g, in comparison to control. Therefore, fresh garlic and garlic oil can be used as natural antimicrobial food additives to extend the shelf life and inactivate the populations of foodborne pathogens in meat products.

Extensively drug-, ciprofloxacin-, cefotaxime-, and azithromycin-resistant Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from camel meat in Egypt.

Given the great importance of Salmonella as a leading foodborne pathogen of global concern and the few available data regarding its prevalence in camel meat, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile, virulence genes, ß-lactamase genes of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from camel meat marketed in Egypt. Forty-five (29.6 %) of the 152 camel meat samples examined were positive for Salmonella spp. Among the 432 Salmonella presumptive colonies isolated, 128 were molecularly verified as Salmonella after confirmation by PCR targeting the Salmonella marker (invA) gene. Virulence genes, encompassing stn, spvC, and hilA genes, were detected in 91.4 % (117/128), 20.3 % (26/128), and 80.5 % (103/128) of the isolates, respectively. S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Cerro, and S. Montevideo were the most prevalent serovars with incidences of 25 % (32/128), 15.6 % (20/128), 15.6 % (20/128), and 12.5 % (16/128), respectively. Interestingly, 56.3 %, 53.1 %, 37.5 %, 28.1 %, 21.9 %, 18.8 %, 12.5 %, and 3.1 % of the isolates tested showed resistance to cefepime, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, colistin, meropenem, and azithromycin, respectively. Salmonella isolates showed resistance to at least one antibiotic, with a mean multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 0.472. Interestingly, 59.4 %, 15.6 %, and 3.1 % of the isolates were categorized into multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and pan-drug-resistant, respectively. Only 23 (25 %) of the 92 ampicillin-resistant isolates were proven to be Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Salmonella, in which ß-lactamase (bla) genes were detected. The blaOXA-2 was the most existing gene where it was detected lonely in 10 of the ampicillin-resistant isolates and coexisted with blaCMY-1 in 4 isolates and with blaCMY-2 in a single isolate. The blaCMY-1, however, existed in 11 isolates, whereas the blaCMY-2 gene was only detected in 3 isolates tested. The present findings affirm that camel meat could be a leading reservoir for multi- and extensively-drug-resistance ß-lactamase-producing Salmonella, representing a global public health challenge. Therefore, further research is necessary to detect the prevalence and AMR of Salmonella serovars from camel meat in Egypt and other countries to put camel meat as a source of Salmonella in foods of animal origin.

Antimicrobial Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaves Extract on Foodborne Pathogens in Ground Beef.

Consumers nowadays are becoming more aware of the importance of using only meat products containing safe and natural additives. Hence, using natural food additives for extending the shelf life of meat along with delaying microbial growth has become an urgent issue. Given the increasingly popular view of Moringa oleifera leaves as a traditional remedy and also the scarcity of published data concerning its antimicrobial effect against foodborne pathogens in meat and meat products, we designed the present study to investigate the antimicrobial effect of Moringa oleifera leaves aqueous extract (0.5%, 1%, and 2%) on ground beef during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 18 days. MLE revealed potent antimicrobial properties against spoilage bacteria, such as aerobic plate count and Enterobacteriaceae count. MLE 2% showed a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the counts of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus artificially inoculated to ground beef by 6.54, 5.35, and 5.40 log10 CFU/g, respectively, compared to control, by the 18th day of storage. Moringa leaves extract (MLE) had no adverse effect on the overall acceptability and other sensory attributes; moreover, it induced a slight improvement in the tenderness and juiciness of treated ground beef, compared to the control. Therefore, MLE can be used as a healthy, natural, and safe preservative to increase meat products' safety, quality, and shelf stability during cold storage. A promising approach for using natural food additives rather than chemical preservatives could begin new frontiers in the food industry, as they are more safe and do not constitute health risks to consumers.

Clarithromycin-, and metronidazole-resistant Helicobacter pylori isolated from raw and ready-to-eat meat in Mansoura, Egypt.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), classified as a class-I carcinogen, is one of the leading medical pathogens of global concern associated mainly with the development of gastric adenocarcinomas and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas; nevertheless, its prevalence in food especially meat and meat products is not fully covered. Additionally, the resistance of H. pylori towards clarithromycin is increasing worldwide and consider the leading cause of H. pylori treatment failure. Thus, the present study was designed to determine the prevalence, molecular characterization, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clarithromycin-, and metronidazole-resistant H. pylori isolated from raw and ready-to-eat meat samples retailed in Mansoura city, Egypt. Among the 250 samples tested, H. pylori were molecularly confirmed in 40.8 % (49/120) of raw meat products and in 29.2 % (38/130) of ready-to-eat meat products. Precisely, 53.3 % (32/60), 56.7 % (17/30), 40 % (8/20), 55 % (11/20), 60 % (12/20), 13.3 % (4/30), and 15 % (3/20) of raw ground beef, beef burger, beef burger sandwiches, beef shawarma sandwiches, beef kofta sandwiches, beef luncheon, and beef sausage sandwiches, respectively were positive for H. pylori. Of the 204 biochemically-identified H. pylori isolates, 53.9 % (110/204) were molecularly confirmed by PCR through the detection of glmM, cagA, or vacA genes, which were detected at an incidence of 95.5 % (105/110), 77.3 % (85/110), and 20.9 % (23/110) among the isolates, respectively. The antimicrobial sensitivity testing revealed that all of the 110 (100 %) molecularly-confirmed H. pylori isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR; resistant to four or more antibiotics). Interestingly, 100 % and 61.8 % of H. pylori isolated from raw and ready-to-eat meat were resistant to metronidazole and clarithromycin, respectively which consider alarming results as metronidazole and clarithromycin are the mainstay antibiotics in the treatment of H. pylori infections. Additionally, 94.5 %, 94.5 %, 24.5 %, 23.6 %, and 13.6 % of isolates were resistant to vancomycin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, imipenem, levofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin, respectively. The widespread contamination of examined raw and ready-to-eat meat product samples with MDR H. pylori isolates could constitute a tremendous public health hazard. Further studies concerning the prevalence and possible methods of elimination of H. pylori in different food categories distributed in the various provinces in Egypt as well as in other countries is required for a better understanding the H. pylori as an emerging foodborne pathogen.

The physicochemical and microbiological quality of meat produced in a traditional slaughterhouse in Mansoura City, Egypt.

INTRODUCTION: In several developing countries the slaughter of meat producing animals is still practiced in traditional slaughterhouses. In the Mansoura slaughterhouse, animals are subjected to various stressors and treated with cruelty, in addition to unhygienic treatment and handling of animal carcasses. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the meat quality from cattle, buffalo, and sheep carcasses processed in an old-fashioned slaughterhouse from Mansoura city, Egypt, in the context of pre-slaughter stress. METHODOLOGY: The bleeding efficiency and the ultimate pH (pHu) of carcasses were tested, along with the effect of post-slaughter handling practice on the microbiological properties of meat. RESULTS: From the 351 examined animals, the ultimate pH (pHu) was less than 5.8 in 81 cases (23.1%) and higher than 6.0 in 165 cases (47%). Furthermore, 45 (12.8%), 270 (76.9%), and 36 (10.3%) of the tested carcasses were well-, moderate- and imperfectly-bled, respectively. Cultivation using the wet-dry triple swab technique sampled from the outer surfaces of cattle, buffalo, and sheep carcasses revealed that about 47.9% of the tested carcasses were contaminated, with total viable count levels exceeding 7 log10 cfu/cm2, and 42.7% were contaminated with Enterobacteriaceae, with levels > 3 log10 cfu/cm2. The molds and yeasts from the tested carcasses had lower counts (< 2 log10 cfu/cm2). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated neglect in terms of sanitary measures during slaughtering and dressing of carcasses, with subsequent higher microbial contamination and impaired meat quality. Therefore, the traditional slaughtering facilities should be modernized to increase their meat producing efficiency, subsequently leading to exportation possibilities.

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effect of Fruit Peel Powders in Chicken Patties.

Meat industries are eager to find natural low-cost additives for improving the health benefits and shelf life of meat products. The present study elucidated the effect of four different fruit peel powders, namely lemon, orange, grapefruit, and banana (1% each), on the oxidative stability, microbial quality, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of chicken patties during 3 months of storage at -18 °C. The total phenolics and flavonoids as well as the antioxidant activity of the fruit peel powders were analyzed. The lemon peel powder contained the highest bioactive substance (90.5 mg gallic acid/g total phenolics and 35 mg rutin/g total flavonoids) and had the highest free radical scavenging activity (90%). The fruit peel powders used, especially the banana peel powder, induced an increase in protein (22.18 g/100 g) and a decrease in fat (10.52 g/100 g) content. Furthermore, all the fruit peel powders exhibited significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities compared with the control samples. The sensory attributes were improved in all treated groups, especially in the lemon peel powder-treated patties. Consequently, the obtained results support the application of fruit peel powders, as natural sources of antioxidants with antibacterial effects, as health-promoting functional additives during the manufacturing of meat products.