Hygienic sanitary conditions of sun dried meat marketed in Cruz das Almas, Bahia and detection of strains with antimicrobial resistance.

This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological, physical and chemical qualities of sun dried meat marketed in Cruz das Almas, Bahia, as well as trace the resistance profile of the isolated strains against different commercial pharmacos. There were collected and analysed 36 samples of sun dried meat, acquired in 12 different establishment (supermarkets, mini-markets, butchers and a municipal market), and quantified mesophilic aerobic bacteria, coliforms, Staphylococcus coagulase positive, E. coli and presence of Salmonella spp., as well as specific content humidity, water activity (Aw) and chloride. In 83% of the establishments, mesophilic bacteria counted > 105 CFU.g-1 and 58% coliforms at 35o C > 105 NMP.g- 1 and coliforms at 45oC > 103 NMP.g-1. Escherichia coli was isolated in 75% of the establishments. Staphylococcus spp. ranged from 4.8 x 104 to 9.0 x 108 UFC.g-1, not being isolated Staphylococcus coagulase positive. Salmonella was found in 25% of the establishments. The humidity in the sun dried meat samples ranged from 52.37% to 74.69%, the Aw from 0.87 to 0.95 and the chloride from 3.16% to 5.98%. Salmonella was 100% resistant to tetracycline, acid nalidixic, cephalothin and erythromycin, with intermediate resistance to ampicillin and gentamicin. Escherichia coli was resistant to erythromycin (100%), ampicillin (68.7%), cephalothin (71.4%), tetracycline (64.2%), nalidixic acid (35.7%) and gentamicin (12.5%). Multiresistant strains of E. coli were observed in 87.5% of the isolates, and it happened that in 28.6% of the resistance it was mediated by plasmids. Multidrug resistance profile was observed in all Salmonella, with a strain showing plasmid resistance. The marketing of sun dried meat in Cruz das Almas presents hygienic and sanitary failures due to it’s high microbial loads. This fact undermines the safety and product lifetime, and may also pose risk to public health since it markets strains with antimicrobial.