Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Prevalence in Food and Inactivation by Food-Compatible Compounds and Plant Extracts

Abstract

Foodborne antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio parahemolyticus can adversely affect animal and human health, but a better understanding of the factors involved in their pathogenesis is needed. To help meet this need, this overview surveys and interprets much of our current knowledge of antibiotic (multidrug)-resistant bacteria in the food chain and the implications for microbial food safety and animal and human health. Topics covered include the origin and prevalence of resistant bacteria in the food chain (dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, and herbal products, produce, and eggs), their inactivation by different classes of compounds and plant extracts and by the use of chlorine and physicochemical methods (heat, UV light, pulsed electric fields, and high pressure), the synergistic antimicrobial effects of combinations of natural antimicrobials with medicinal antibiotics, and mechanisms of antimicrobial activities and resistant effects. Possible areas for future research are suggested. Plant-derived and other safe natural antimicrobial compounds have the potential to control the prevalence of both susceptible and resistant pathogens in various environments. The collated information and suggested research will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of approaches that could be used to minimize the presence of resistant pathogens in animal feed and human food, thus reducing adverse effects, improving microbial food safety, and helping to prevent or treat animal and human infections.

Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Relevance to Environmental Regulators

“…However, many other chemicals, natural [e.g., plant-derived (Friedman, 2015)], and xenobiotic [e.g., solvents such as octanol, hexane and toluene (Ramos et al, 2002; Fernandes, 2003)], are also known to select for resistance genes. The prevalence of resistance genes in the environment are the result of a complex combination of factors, that reflect a dynamic balance of fitness costs and benefits: costs of carrying the ARG in the context of the host genome and environment (Maher et al, 2012; Roux et al, 2015); relative to the severity and frequency of hazard (Gullberg et al, 2011, 2014); relative to some physical environmental factors, such as temperature (Gifford et al, 2016) and microbial ecology (Amini et al, 2011), among others.…”

Residential Bacteria on Surfaces in the Food Industry and Their Implications for Food Safety and Quality

“…The role of the food chain in the transmission of antibiotic resistance from animals and environments to humans is gaining increasing interest, and the topic has been thoroughly discussed in a number of reviews and reports (Safe Food 2010;Capita and Alonso-Calleja 2013;Verraes and others 2013;Friedman 2015;Allen and others 2016). Bacteria with high intrinsic or acquired resistance (such as mutations, conjugative plasmids, or transposons with antibiotic resistance genes) may be introduced to food processing environments through raw materials and people.…”

Consumer Exposure to Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria From Food at Swiss Retail Level

“…Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in commensal bacteria as well as opportunistic or obligate pathogens is an increasing public health concern due to the possibility of AMR gene transfer from commensals to pathogens or among pathogens (Friedman, 2015; ICF, 2017). Food plays an important role in the transmission of commensal microorganisms (MO) but also foodborne pathogens including zoonotic organisms.…”