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Bacteriological quality and the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7 in ready‐to‐eat foods from Barbados, WI
Author(s) -
HullJackson Carol,
MotaMeira Marilaine,
Adesiyun Abiodun
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of food safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1745-4565
pISSN - 0149-6085
DOI - 10.1111/jfs.12666
Subject(s) - salmonella , serial dilution , food science , serotype , contamination , polymerase chain reaction , biology , veterinary medicine , food safety , food contaminant , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , bacteria , ecology , biochemistry , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology , gene
The bacteriological quality and safety of ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods in Barbados were assessed in two separate studies conducted between 2014 and 2016. In Study 1, 206 food samples were processed for Salmonella spp. by conventional bacteriological methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serotyping were used for confirmation. In Study 2, 120 food samples were processed for the total aerobic plate count (TAPC), coliform count, and E. coli count using conventional bacteriological methods. After a 24 hr pre‐enrichment, the food samples were screened for Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7 by PCR. To validate the PCR screening method for use after pre‐enrichment, the detection limit was investigated in cooked chicken samples spiked with 10‐fold serial dilutions of an overnight culture of Salmonella Enteritidis. In Study 1, the prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis was 1.5% (3/206). In Study 2, the prevalence of E. coli was 1.7%, and unsatisfactory TAPC (12.5%) and coliform counts (4.2%) were documented. The PCR screen detected DNA extracted from homogenates with as low as 6 CFU/mL, after a 24 hr pre‐enrichment. However, all samples screened negative (0.0%) for Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7. Compared with other developing countries, the prevalence of pathogens in RTE foods in Barbados is low. Practical applications Salmonella and E.coli are major causes of food borne illness globally and antibiotic resistance among these bacteria have presented increasing challenges for clinicians. Studies demonstrate that bacterial contamination in ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods have varied among developed and developing nations. While there are several published reports on the bacterial contamination of RTE foods from the developing Caribbean region, none have originated from Barbados. This study is the first to report a low prevalence of Salmonella , E. coli and other microbial contaminants in RTE foods sold in popular tourist districts in Barbados. This information can be applied to food safety considerations for public health and the tourism industry.