Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found in 40% of Sampled Meat from Supermarkets; Scientists Advise To Limit Usage of Antibiotics Among Livestock, Thoroughly Cook Meat, Disinfect Cooking Utensils

Upon analyzing sampled meat from supermarkets in Spain, researchers found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria were present in 40% of these samples.

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found in Supermarket Meat

Medical News Today reports that multiresistant E. coli was spotted in these samples. There were also high levels of E. coli strains that are known to cause serious illnesses. Such findings were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed publication.

These results amplify the concerns regarding antibiotic overuse and food-borne conditions.

Tyler Williams, ASI Food Safety's chief technical officer, says that most consumers think that supermarket-bought goods are guaranteed safe. However, this is far from true.

To delve into these realities, researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela-Lugo partnered with other centers to design various experiments that assess multidrug-resistance levels and E. coli presence in supermarket meat in Spain.

SciTechDaily notes that they looked into 100 different meat products, equally comprising pork, beef, turkey, and chicken. These meat items were randomly chosen from Oviedo supermarkets back in 2020.

Most meat products were found to harbor E. coli levels that were within the food safety boundaries. However, around 49% had potentially pathogenic and/or multidrug-resistant E. coli.

Among those, 82 isolates of E.coli were recovered and characterized. Moreover, 12 isolates of K. pneumonia were recovered from 1 pork, 2 turkey, and 7 chicken products.

Among the 100 meat products, forty were found to harbor the multidrug-resistant E. coli. This also included the bacteria that produced ESBLs (extended-spectrum beta-lactamases), which are enzymes that foster resistance to the majority of beta-lactam antibiotics. These antibiotics include cephalosporins and penicillins.

Around 12% of pork, 16% of beef, 56% of chicken, and 68% of turkey carried E. coli that produced ESBL. The higher percentages in poultry could be due to slaughter and production differences.

Moreover, 27% of the meat products had ExPEC (extraintestinal E. coli) that was potentially pathogenic. This E. coli has strains that enable disease to spread even beyond the gastrointestinal tract. It leads to various UTIs (urinary tract infections) and is a leading cause of sepsis. Moreover, it is the second most prevalent cause of neonatal meningitis.

Six percent also contained UPEC (uropathogenic) E.coli, which is part of the ExPEC group. In addition, 1% had E. coli that harbored the mcr-1 gene, which fosters colistin resistance. This antibiotic is the last resort used for treating infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to other types of antibiotics.

Dangers of Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria

According to the World Health Organization, around 700,000 people across the globe die each year due to drug-resistant bacteria. WHO also notes that these numbers may go as high as 10 million by 2050 if trends persist.

SciTechDaily reports that multidrug-resistant bacteria may move from animals to humans through food. However, due to business sensitivities, the levels of antibiotic-resistant superbugs in food are not widely relayed.

Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, who wrote the book "150 Food Science Questions Answered," notes that though not all E. coli varieties are pathogenic, bacteria have the capacity of transferring their resistance to other subspecies. He notes that humanity is bound to see more antibiotic-resistant pathogens in food as time passes.

Combat Antibiotic Resistance in Meat

The researchers urge regular assessments to be conducted in order to examine the levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in meat products. Moreover, on the agricultural side, the authors also advise limiting the use of antibiotics among farm livestock.

They also offer advice to consumers of supermarket meat products in order to be protected from food-borne illnesses. They recommend not disrupting the chain of cool temperatures as the meat is brought from the grocery store to the home. Moreover, they advise you to properly store it in the refrigerator and cook it thoroughly.

Aside from that, to prevent cross-contamination, the study authors also advise disinfecting chopping boards, knives, and other cooking utensils. With such measures, consuming meat becomes safe and pleasurable.

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