Microbiological Quality of High-Demand Food from Three Major Cities in Ecuador

Abstract

Bacterial foodborne diseases are one of the most important public health issues worldwide but in Ecuador reports on the microbiological quality of foods are scarce. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 450 samples of high-demand Ecuadorian food, including bolon, encebollado, sauces, ceviche, fruits, fruit juices, fruit salads, cheese, raw chicken and ground beef were collected from popular street markets in the cities of Guayaquil, Quito and Cuenca. Populations of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAM), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), Escherichia coli (EC), Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes were examined on composited samples by plate count following the local regulations (Norma Tecnica Ecuatoriana - INEN) for each kind of food. The individual and interaction effects of the city and food type on the levels of each bacterial group was assessed by two-way ANOVA. Selected colonies from each culture were identified using Biolog OmniLog ID and sequencing of the V3-V4 region on the 16S rRNA gene. Average TAM, TC, FC and EC levels were 5.10 ± 0.12, 2.50 ± 0.16, 1.09 ± 0.12 and 0.83 ± 0.12 log CFU/g or mL, respectively, with significant variations among the cities. The prevalence of Salmonella in chicken and sauces as well as L. monocytogenes in cheese and fruit salad was greater than 20 %. Opportunistic pathogens including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus sciuri, and Enterococcus spp. were frequently identified in the samples from all three cities. High prevalence of spoilage microorganisms such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and biocontrol bacteria such as Lactococcus lactis was also observed. This is the first report on the microbiological quality of food from Ecuador.

Evaluation of the Hygienic Quality of the Gastronomic Offer of a Coastal Tourist Destination: A Study in San Pablo, Ecuador

“…All the other microorganisms evaluated in the food samples were within the norm. The results of total coliforms coincide with those obtained by Salazar-Llorente et al [57], who also evidenced the presence of this microbial group in foods popularly consumed in the main cities of Ecuador. Additionally, they coincide with those of Orden-Mejía et al [58] for a sampling carried out in shell ceviche in the city of Guayaquil-Ecuador.…”

Nasal Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Sciuri Group by Residents of an Urban Informal Settlement in Kenya

“…Focus on the S. sciuri group bacteria has increased in recent years owing to their implication in opportunistic human and veterinary infections 9 , 10 food contamination, 11 , 12 and potential for zoonotic transmission. 13 These bacteria are natural reservoirs of methicillin resistance genes, which can be transferred to S. aureus —an important human and animal pathogen—and can carry virulence genes that promote pathogenicity in coagulase-negative staphylococci.…”

Investigation of the influence of xanthan on mozzarella cheese characteristics focusing on its antimicrobial effect

“…The significant indices of microbial quality are mesophilic, coliforms, fungi count, and specific microbe detection, as mentioned by Salazar-Llorente et al [ 37 ]. The TSC appeared immediately after production, although the count (<10 CFU/ml) results after milk heat treatment, which indicates the availability of contamination during processing even with heat treatment and strict hygienic measures.…”