Risk characterization of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in meat products

- Incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp., in poultry, pork and beef products was analyzed.
- A total of 2050 samples were studied and susceptibility to fourteen antibiotics was determined.
- Qualitative risk characterization of the presence of Salmonella resistant strains in meat products were obtained.

Antimicrobial resistance is considered to be a major public health concern in the framework of Horizon 2020. The risk to human health from foodborne antimicrobial resistant microorganisms can be determined and assessed using risk analysis tools in accordance with Codex principles. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the qualitative risk characterization of the presence of Salmonella resistant strains in meat products. Consequently, a total of 2050 whole and minced samples of poultry, pork and beef, were assessed. Samples were obtained by the Official Food Control Services of the Valencian administration (Spain), in the province of Valencia between January 2006 and June 2012. Salmonella was not found in any samples of beef. Salmonella strains isolated in poultry and pork samples were not resistant to amikacin, amoxicillin, cephalothin ciprofloxacin levofloxacin and ofloxacin. However, Salmonella isolates found in poultry had a high level of resistance to nalidixic acid, while those found in pork were more resistant to tetracycline and ampicillin. Furthermore, 41% of Salmonella isolates were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Finally, considering these results as exposure and taking into account the severity of the potential adverse health effects related to the different antimicrobials, risk characterization was estimated. As a result, three cases were classified as “Very high additional risk” all of them in minced meat, two cases in poultry (gentamicin and nalidixic acid) and one in pork (ampicillin). In the rest of the cases of resistance, the risk was classified as “high additional risk”. This highlights the importance of continued surveillance and the need to take measures in the primary sector in order to minimize the risk for the consumer.